The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 


"  Before  the  gamblers  had  ridden  twenty  rods  the  cowboys  were  upon 
them,  yelling  like  fiends  and  lashing  them  unmercifully  over  their 

backs." 

frotmSt 


THE 

* 

LOST  TREASURE  CAVE 

OR 

ADVENTURES    WITH   THE   COWBOYS 
OF   COLORADO 


BY 

EVERETT    M'NEIL 

Author  of 

"Chums  in  the  Far  West,"  "Dickon  Bend-the-Bow," 
Etc. 


WITH    EIGHT   ILLUSTRATIONS 

BY 

W.  M.  Gary 


NEW  YORK 
E.    P.    BUTTON    &    COMPANY 

681  FIFTH  AVENUE 


Copyright,  1905 
By  E.  P.  Dutton  &  Company 

All  Rights  Reserved 
First  printing,  September,  1905 
Second  printing,  October,  1923 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED 
STATES  OF  AMERICA 


5144683 


TO  MY  YOUNG  FRIEND 

WILLIAM  HILL  MICHALES,  JR. 

AND    TO    ALL    THE    OTHER    YOUNG    FRIENDS   WHO 

HAVE    SHOWN    SO    KINDLY    AN   INTEREST    IN 

THE    ADVENTURES   OF    DICK    AND 

HARRY,    I    AFFECTIONATELY 

DEDICATE  THIS  BOOK 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  »AGI 

I.  BILL  BURKE i 

II.  THE  COUNCIL 13 

III.  COWBOY  WELCOME  .....  20 

IV.  THE  GAMBLERS 30 

V.  A  FRIENDLY  WARNING    ....  40 

VI.  THIRD  PASS 50 

VII.  THE  SURRENDER 56 

VIII.  "HEAP  BIG  BLACK  MEDICINE"        .         .  64 

IX.  AN  UNEXPECTED  DISPLAY  OF  FIREWORKS  72 

X.  THE  ESCAPE 83 

XI.  LONE  HILL  RANCH          ....  93 

XII.  THE  PACK-MULE  TRAIN          .        .         .  103 

XIII.  BLACK  JUAN  RIDES  TO  EL  MORO    .         .  124 

XIV.  COWBOY  JIM'S  CANNON   ....  137 
XV.  BILL  BURKE  AND  THE  BUCKING  BULL     .  148 

XVI.  THE  GREAT  RACE 157 

XVII.  STEER-TYING 170 

XVIII.  AN  EXCITING  BUFFALO  HUNT         .        .  193 

XIX.  ACROSS  THE  DEVIL'S  BACKBONE       .        .211 
B 


vi  Contents 

CHAPTER  FAGB 

XX.  BLACK  JUAN  KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE  .        .     229 

XXI.  SCAR-FACE 241 

XXII.  ON  THE  TRAIL  OF  THE  ABDUCTORS        .     256 

XXIII.  GOLD  OR  LORETTA  ?  275 

XXIV.  CAPTAIN  KENT'S  PLAN          .         .         .285 
XXV.  THE  LADDER  OF  ROPES  .        .         .        .     298 

XXVI.  ALMOST  A  HANGING      .        .        .        .310 

XXVII.  KID  DALTON 321 

XXVIII.  IN  THE  CHAMBER  OF  THE  DEAD  KINGS  .     330 
XXIX.  THE  YOLK  OF  THE  GOLDEN  EGG  .         .     344 


ILLUSTRATIONS     %V 

PAGB 

*  Before  the  gamblers  had  ridden  twenty  rods  the 
cowboys  were  upon  them,  yelling  like  fiends 
and  lashing  them  unmercifully  over  their 
backs  "  (see  p.  38)  .  .  .  Frontispiece 

"  Suddenly  the  negro  bent  almost  double,  and,  with 
a  leap  so  quick  the  eye  could  hardly  follow 
the  movement,  his  head  struck  Dick  squarely 
in  the  stomach "  .  .  .  .  .  .10 

"  In  another  moment  the  air  was  filled  with  flash- 
ing blades  of  light,  leaping  in  every  direction 
and  of  every  conceivable  color  "  .  .  .80 

"  The  rider  halted  for  an  instant,  apparently  to  get 

a  better  view  of  the  occupants  of  the  wagon  "       92 

"  Cowboy  Jim  jumped  from  his  saddle  the  instant 
the  noose  settled  around  the  horns  and  a 
quick  jerk  had  thrown  the  rope  to  the  right 
of  the  steer" 190 

"Slowly  the  buffalo  bull  gained  on  Bonnie  Bess, 
despite  Loretta's  utmost  urgings,  gained  until 
the  long  hair  of  the  pony's  tail  touched  the 
great  shaggy  head,  and  it  seemed  as  if  Lo- 
retta  were  doomed  "  208 


viii  Illustrations 

PACB 

"Bill  Burke  lowered  his  head,  clapped  both  hands 
under  his  chin  for  support,  and,  putting  forth 
every  ounce  of  strength  in  his  muscular  legs 
and  back,  shot  forward  to  meet  the  bear  "  .  287 

"  Scar-face,  insane  with  fear,  plunged  headlong  out 
of  the  cave,  and  came  whirling  down  through 
the  air " 309 


The  Lost  Treasure  Cave. 


CHAPTER  I 

BILL   BURKE 

'"THE  Captain  Kent  Club-House  was  situ- 
*  ated  on  the  broad  shoulders  of  a  high 
hill,  whose  front  sloped  gradually  down  to  the 
banks  of  the  Yahara  River,  and  whose  back 
supported  the  large  level  park,  where  were 
located  the  baseball  and  football  grounds,  the 
tennis  courts,  etc.,  for  the  young  people  of 
Yahara.  The  building  itself  was  a  large,  three- 
storied,  imposing  structure,  solidly  built  of 
stone  and  brick,  with  a  great  arched  doorway 
in  front,  flanked  by  two  tall  stone  towers,  and 
approached  by  a  broad  flight  of  seventeen 
granite  steps.  A  large  library,  gymnasium, 
lecture-room,  museum,  bathrooms,  and  various 
club-rooms  and  offices,  all  properly  equipped 
and  furnished,  occupied  the  interior  of  the 
building. 


2  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Some  sixty  feet  back  and  a  little  to  the 
right  of  the  club-house  was  the  Yahara  Men- 
agerie, where  twoyoung  grizzly  bears  reigned  as 
king  and  queen  over  all  the  other  animals  col- 
lected there.  On  a  bronze  tablet,  which  hung 
just  above  the  gate  that  gave  entrance  through 
the  strong  iron  fence  that  surrounded  the  home 
of  the  grizzly  bears,  were  cut  these  words : 

DUNDER  AND  BLITZEN 
GRIZZLY  BEARS  (  Ursus  Horribilis  ) 

CAPTURED  IN  THE  CULEBRA  MOUNTAINS  OF  COLO- 
RADO   AND    PRESENTED    TO    THE    YAHARA 
MENAGERIE   BY   HARRY  J.    ASHTON 
AND    RICHARD  A.  ORSON. 

On  each  side  of  the  bears'  cage  were  a  num- 
ber of  smaller  cages  and  enclosures,  wherein 
were  confined  specimens  of  nearly  all  the  wild 
animals  found  in  Wisconsin,  such  as  deer, 
bears,  wolves,  foxes,  wildcats,  lynxes,  badgers, 
skunks,  woodchucks,  and  the  smaller  ani- 
mals, together  with  a  cage  of  monkeys  and 
a  few  other  more  rare  beasts  brought  from 
distant  parts  of  the  world.  All  these  various 
animals  were  properly  caged  and  protected 
from  the  cold  of  winter  and  the  heat  of 
summer. 


Bill  Burke  3 

The  grounds  belonging  to  the  Captain  Kent 
Club- House  consisted  of  forty  acres  of  land,  a 
part  of  which,  covered  with  great  oak  trees, 
lay  along  the  hills  that  crowned  the  west  bank 
of  the  river,  and  would  make  a  most  delightful 
pleasure-park  for  the  young  and  the  old  of  Ya- 
hara  during  the  hot  summer  months. 

All  this,  the  buildings  and  the  grounds,  had 
been  deeded,  inperpetuum,  by  its  young  donors, 
Richard  A.  Orson  and  Harry  J.  Ashton,  in 
honor  of  their  friend  Captain  David  Kent, 
to  the  pleasures  and  the  uses  of  the  children, 
young  and  old,  who  lived  or  who  should  come 
to  live  in  Yahara  ;  and  along  with  the  deed  had 
gone  an  endowment  amply  sufficient  to  take 
proper  care  of  the  buildings  and  the  grounds. 

At  the  time  our  story  introduces  Dick  and 
Harry  to  its  readers,  the  great  day,  when  the 
club-house  and  its  grounds  had  been  presented 
to  the  people  of  Yahara  and  dedicated  to  their 
perpetual  use  and  pleasure,  had  been  passed  by 
a  week  of  time ;  and  yet  the  bosoms  of  our 
young  friends  still  glowed  with  the  warmth  of 
the  reception  that  had  been  tendered  them  by 
their  delighted  townspeople,  who,  quite  natu- 
rally, thought  Dick  and  Harry  the  two  most 
generous  and  noble-hearted  boys  in  all  the 
world.  Altogether  the  gift  had  been  a  most 


4  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

delightful  bit  of  philanthropy;  and  Dick  and 
Harry  were  justly  very  happy  and  pleased  over 
the  successful  outcome  of  their  plans  for  the 
betterment  of  the  surroundings  of  their  friends 
and  neighbors — for  in  Yahara  all  were  friends 
and  neighbors. 

The  two  boys  were  approaching  the  broad 
flight  of  stone  steps  that  led  up  to  the  arched 
doorway  of  the  club-house  ;  and  both  were  talk- 
ing very  earnestly  and  a  little  excitedly. 

"  Now,"  and  Harry  stopped  and  rested  a 
hand  on  the  head  of  one  of  the  stone  lions 
that  crouched  at  the  foot  of  the  granite  stair- 
way, "  my  letter  from  Captain  Kent  said  that 
he  would  reach  Abel  Johnson's  ranch  on  the 
first  day  of  July;  and  advised  us,  if  possible, 
to  meet  him  there  at  that  time.  He  wrote 
that  he  would  attend  to  the  securing  of  all 
the  supplies  needed  for  the  exploration  of  the 
treasure  cave ;  and  requested  us  to  concern 
ourselves  only  about  the  few  little  things  that 
we  wished  for  our  personal  use.  He  said  that 
the  past  winter  had  been  one  of  the  severest 
ever  known  in  Colorado,  and  that  an  enormous 
amount  of  snow  had  fallen  on  the  mountains ; 
and,  consequently,  the  spring  would  be  cold 
and  backward,  but  that  the  mountains  should 
be  sufficiently  cleared  of  snow  by  July  to  make 


Bill  Burke  5 

it  possible  for  us  to  explore  Blind  Canyon. 
He  wrote  as  if  he  were  just  a  little  uneasy 
about  the  Indians.  It  seems  that  they  have 
been  causing  quite  a  lot  of  trouble  a  hundred 
miles  or  so  to  the  north,  and  he  feared  that  the 
severe  winter  would  force  them  south  in  search 
of  game.  Now,  to-morrow  will  be  the  last  day 
of  May,  and  we  have  got  to  come  to  a  de- 
cision soon,  Dick.  What  do  you  say  to  our 
starting  about  the  fifteenth  day  of  June?  That 
ought  to  get  us  on  Abel  Johnson's  ranch  a 
day  or  two  before  Captain  Kent  arrives,  and 
then  we  would  be  there  to  help  the  rest  give 
him  a  jolly  welcome." 

Dick's  face  reddened  a  little  and  he  looked 
down  at  his  feet.  "  I — I  got  a  letter  from 
Loretta  this  morning,"  he  said,  "  and  she 
especially  wanted  us  to  be  there  by  the  Fourth 
of  July,  and  help  them  celebrate.  I  fancy 
Abel  Johnson  and  his  cowboys  are  going  to 
have  a  big  blowout,  one  that  will  make  the 
American  eagle  fairly  scream,  and  I  want 
to  be  there  to  hear  and  see  the  fun.  Yes,  I 
think  the  fifteenth  will  be  about  the  right  date 
for  us  to  start.  Let  me  see — that  will  be 
the  first  Monday  after  the  close  of  school. 
Let 's  talk  it  over  with  our  folks  to-night  and 

to-morrow  we  '11  decide.     Loretta  wrote  that 

o 


6  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

she  always  reads  our  letters  to  Bonny  Bess, 
and  that  the  pony  nodded  her  head  and 
neighed  joyfully  when  she  read  the  part  in 
our  last  letter  that  said  we  would  soon  be 
there.  My,  I  should  like  to  see  Bonny  Bess 
and  Sambo  ! " 

44  And  what  about '  Bonny '  Loretta  ?  "  Harry 
broke  in  quizzingly. 

"  Of  course  I  want  to  see  her,  too,"  Dick 
answered,  his  face  flushing  a  deeper  red. 
"  But  a  girl  is  different  from  a  horse,  and — " 
Harry's  laugh  interrupted  him.  "  Oh,  bother- 
ation !  You  know  what  I  mean  !  Come  on. 
We  're  already  late  for  the  gymnasium,"  and 
Dick  hurried  up  the  steps. 

There  were  about  thirty  boys  in  the  gym- 
nasium, and  all  gave  a  great  shout  just  as 
Dick  and  Harry  entered  the  room,  while  cries 
of,  "Hurrah  for  Bill  Burke!"  "Good  Bill 
Burke ! "  "  Brave  Bill  Burke,  the  Black  Cham- 
pion of  Yahara  !  "  came  from  the  mouths  of 
various  excited  boys  who  were  crowding 
around  a  giant  negro  boy  who  stood  near  the 
centre  of  the  room.  He  was  not  over  seven- 
teen years  old,  but  already  he  was  larger  in 
frame  and  stronger  in  muscle  than  the  major- 
ity of  men.  Indeed,  his  feats  of  strength  had 
long  been  the  pride  and  wonder  of  all  the 


Bill  Burke  7 

boys  in  Yahara,  but  never  before  to-night  had 
they  been  able  to  get  him  to  put  on  the  boxing- 
gloves.  Now  he  was  evidently  a  champion  ; 
for,  as  Dick  and  Harry  pushed  their  way 
through  the  surrounding  crowd  of  boys,  they 
saw  his  opponent  take  off  his  gloves  and  throw 
them  down  in  front  of  the  negro,  amid  the 
shouts  and  laughter  of  his  companions ;  and 
the  boy  who  had  thus  acknowledged  his  de- 
feat was  one  of  the  best  boxers  in  the  Yahara 
Athletic  Club — the  best,  except  Dick. 

"It  is  up  to  you,  Dick!"  one  of  the  boys 
shouted.  "  You  're  the  only  champion  we  Ve 
got  left.  All  the  others  have  gone  down  to 
defeat  before  the  Black  Catapult.  For  the 
honor  of  your  race  and  the  glory  of  your  name, 
wilt  enter  the  list  against  Bill  Burke?" 

In  a  moment  Dick  found  himself  in  the  centre 
of  a  jam  of  excited  boys,  all  laughingly  urging 
him  to  do  battle  with  the  negro.  Dick  needed 
but  little  persuading.  He  was  always  ready  for 
a  good  time ;  and  it  was  evident  from  the  faces 
and  actions  of  the  boys  around  him  that  they 
had  been  having  glorious  sport.  Besides,  Dick 
had  confidence  in  his  boxing  prowess.  He 
believed  that  he  could  easily  defeat  Bill  Burke, 
notwithstanding  his  superior  strength  and  size, 
and  he  wanted  to  show  the  boys  how  quickly 


8  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

he  would  prove  himself  the  master  of  the 
negro.  There  was  no  color  line  in  Yahara ; 
or,  if  there  was,  no  one  knew  it,  for  Bill  Burke 
was  the  only  negro  in  town,  and  he  was  such 
a  jolly,  good-natured,  humorous  fellow  that 
every  man  and  boy  in  Yahara  liked  him. 

"All  right,"  Dick  answered.  "Just  wait  un- 
til I  get  into  my  gymnasium  clothes.  "  Hello, 
Bill  Burke,"  and  he  turned  laughingly  to  the 
negro  boy,  "  trying  for  the  championship  belt, 
are  you  ?  Well,  if  you  don't  mind,  I  '11  give 
you  a  tussle  for  it." 

Bill  Burke  shook  his  woolly  head,  and  rolled 
the  whites  of  his  eyes,  and  grinned.  "  Better 
not,  boss,"  he  answered.  "  I  's  great  on  head, 
work." 

The  wild  shout  of  laughter  with  which  the 
boys  received  this  sally  should  have  warned 
Dick  that  there  was,  perhaps,  something  un- 
usual in  the  negro's  method  of  boxing ;  but  he 
was  already  on  the  way  to  his  locker  and  did 
did  not  clearly  understand  the  words  of  Bill 
Burke's  reply. 

In  five  minutes  Dick  was  ready  for  the  con- 
test ;  and  a  finer  specimen  of  white  young 
manhood  it  would  have  been  difficult  to 
find  anywhere.  Tall,  broad-shouldered,  deep- 
chested,  and  narrow-hipped,  with  well-muscled 


Bill  Burke  9 

arms  and  legs  and  back,  Dick  stood,  regarding 
the  negro  boy  with  laughing,  yet  cautious 
eyes.  Bill  Burke  was  at  least  two  inches  taller 
than  Dick,  and  his  shoulders  were  much 
broader,  and  great  muscles  covered  his  arms 
and  back  and  chest  and  legs ;  and  Dick  well 
knew  that  if  one  of  the  gloves,  driven  by  those 
strong  muscles,  hit  him  the  contest  was  likely 
to  end  then  and  there.  But  he  did  not 
intend  to  get  hit.  In  fact,  he  had  planned  to 
do  all  the  hitting  himself. 

The  two  boys  touched  gloves,  stepped  back, 
and  then  the  physical  director  himself  gave 
the  word  for  the  contest  to  begin. 

There  was  no  laughing  in  the  room  now ; 
every  boy  all  but  held  his  breath,  and  an  in- 
tent look  was  on  each  face,  as  if  something 
was  going  to  happen,  and  each  boy  wanted  to 
see  it  with  both  eyes  when  it  did  happen. 

From  the  first  Dick  was  the  aggressor.  With 
lithe,  quick  leaps  and  swift  bendings  of  his 
supple  form  he  easily  avoided  the  blows  of 
the  negro,  while  almost  every  second  his  own 
glove  struck  with  a  resounding  whack  on  the 
skull  of  Bill  Burke.  At  every  blow  he  received 
Bill  Burke  would  shake  his  head  and  wink 
furiously,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  onlookers  ; 
and  then,  shutting  both  eyes  and  whirling  his 


io  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

gloves  around  like  the  fans  of  a  windmill,  he 
would  make  a  blind  rush  at  Dick,  only  to  get 
another  blow  or  two,  as  Dick  quickly  side- 
stepped. At  the  end  of  the  first  round  Bill 
Burke  had  not  scored  a  point.  All  the  honors 
were  with  Dick,  but  that  was  all.  The  negro's 
head  showed  not  a  mark  of  any  kind,  and 
he  appeared  even  less  tired  than  Dick,  who 
was  beginning  to  breathe  just  a  little  heavily. 

The  second  round  was  begun  more  cau- 
tiously. The  negro  made  no  more  blind  rushes, 
and  his  round  black  eyes  never  once  left  Dick's 
face,  except  when  he  saw  a  blow  coming ;  then, 
without  making  even  an  effort  to  ward  it  off, 
he  would  give  his  head  a  quick  little  duck  and 
catch  the  glove  on  the  top  of  his  skull,  seem- 
ingly with  as  little  effect  as  if  a  pillow  had 
struck  him,  though  Dick  was  an  exceptionally 
hard  hitter.  All  at  once  the  most  comical 
wrinkles  spread  swiftly  all  over  his  face — evi- 
dently he  was  thinking  very  hard — and  the 
boys  saw  his  form,  as  he  shifted  about  on  his 
feet,  crouching  lower  and  lower.  Suddenly, 
with  the  agility  and  sureness  that  could  only 
have  come  from  long  practice,  he  clapped  both 
hands  under  his  chin,  bent  almost  double,  and, 
with  a  leap  so  quick  that  the  eye  could  hardly 
follow  the  movement,  his  head  struck  Dick 


Suddenly  the  negro  bent  almost  double,  and,  with  a  leap  so  quick  the 
eye  could    hardly   follow  the   movement,   his   head    struck   Dick 

squarely  in  the  stomach." 

PAGE  10. 


Bill  Burke  n 

squarely  in  the  stomach,  doubled  him  up  like 
a  half-shut  jack-knife,  and  landed  him  on  his 
back,  with  hardly  enough  breath  left  in  his  body 
to  start  his  lungs  to  going  again. 

Bill  Burke  straightened  up,  shook  his  woolly 
head,  and,  looking  at  Dick  regretfully,  remarked 
solemnly :  "  Yo'  hab  no  business  foolin'  wid 
dis  niggah,  boss  Dick.  I  done  told  yo'  I 's 
great  on  headwork." 

"Hurrah  for  Bill  Burke!"  "Brave  Bill 
Burke  !  "  "  The  Champion  Black  Catapult  of 
Yahara ! "  shouted  the  boys,  as  laughing  and 
pushing  and  pulling  they  crowded  around  the 
negro  and  Dick,  some  congratulating  Bill 
Burke  and  patting  him  on  the  shoulders,  while 
others  consoled  Dick,  even  offering  to  get 
their  bicycle  pumps  and  fill  him  up  with  wind 
again. 

At  first  Dick  was  inclined  to  be  angry  ;  but 
a  sight  of  the  negro's  face,  and  the  thought 
of  how  exceedingly  comical  the  whole  proceed- 
ing must  have  looked,  was  too  much  for  his 
anger,  and  he  joined  in  the  laughter  as  heartily 
as  any  one  the  moment  he  got  back  his  breath. 

Harry  was  among  the  first  to  console  Dick ; 
and,  as  he  helped  him  to  his  feet,  he  whispered 
in  his  ear :  "  Come  up  to  the  reading-room  as 
soon  as  you  can,  Dick.  I  Ve  got  a  bully  idea, 


12  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

and  I  want  to  tell  you  all  about  it.  I  am  sure 
you  will  think  it  great.  Hurry  up  I " 

Ten  minutes  later  Dick  entered  the  read- 
ing-room. A  glance  showed  him  Harry 
sitting  by  himself  in  a  distant  corner.  Dick 
at  once  hurried  to  his  side. 

"Well,  what  is  it  ? "  he  asked,  as  he  sat  down 
in  a  chair. 

"  Let 's  take  Bill  Burke  with  us ! " 

For  an  instant  Dick  stared  into  the  face  of 
Harry.  Then  he  jumped  to  his  feet  and  gave 
him  a  thump  on  the  back  that  could  be  heard 
all  over  the  reading-room.  "  Great  Christo- 
pher Colombo  !  I  wonder  why  I  did  not  think 
of  that  myself !  He  '11  be  worth  his  weight 
in  gold.  He  can  cook,  and  has  camped  out  a 
lot  in  the  South,  and  knows  how  to  take  care 
of  horses,  and  he  's  such  jolly  fun.  'T  will  be 
as  good  as  a  circus  to  have  him  with  us.  I  '11 
go  and  get  him,"  and  away  Dick  went  on  the 
run  after  Bill  Burke. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE     COUNCIL 

ONE  day,  some  six  months  before  the  open- 
ing of  this  story,  a  great,  overgrown  negro 
boy  had  stepped  from  the  cars  to  the  Yahara 
station  platform,  and,  after  staring  wonderingly 
about  him  for  a  few  minutes,  had  started  up 
Main  Street.  This  was  Bill  Burke.  He 
stopped  at  the  first  livery  stable  he  came  to, 
and  asked  for  work,  and  got  the  work ;  and 
there  he  had  been  ever  since.  The  skin  on 
Bill  Burke's  face  was,  apparently,  made  out  of 
India  rubber  ;  and  when  he  talked,  or  laughed, 
or  got  excited,  funny  little  kinks  and  wrinkles 
chased  one  another  all  around  the  corners  of 
his  mouth  and  eyes  and  up  and  down  his 
cheeks  and  forehead,  and  gave  such  a  never- 
ending  variety  of  comical  expressions  to  his 
face  that  it  was  as  good  as  paying  a  dollar  to 
go  and  see  a  face-comedian  to  sit  and  watch 
him.  In  a  very  short  time  he  had  made  friends 
with  all  the  boys  in  town,  and  with  their  fathers 


/4  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

and  mothers,  too,  for  that  matter ;  for  Bill 
Burke's  good-natured,  humorous  face  and  queer 
laughable  ways  brought  him  a  hearty  welcome 
wherever  he  went,  while  he  had  none  of  those 
vicious  habits  with  which  members  of  his  race 
are  usually  cursed,  to  turn  parents  against  him. 
With  all  his  good  nature,  Bill  Burke  had  a 
temper  and  a  mind  of  his  <^wn,  as  some  of  the 
rougher  boys  in  town  found  out  to  their  cost 
when  they  started  in  one  night  to  make  sport 
of  him.  After  that  one  experience  with  the 
strength  of  his  muscles  and  the  hardness  of 
his  head  and  fists  the  sports  let  him  alone. 
He  had  come  from  "down  G'orgy  way,"  and 
had  stopped  at  Yahara  because  that  was  as 
far  "  no'th  "  as  his  money  would  take  him. 

When  Dick  came  back,  some  ten  minutes 
later,  he  had  Bill  Burke  with  him  ;  and  the 
negro  had  a  grin  on  his  face  that  threatened 
to  engulf  his  entire  head,  while  his  eyes 
were  rolling  about  in  their  sockets  like  white 
marbles. 

"  Come  in  here,  where  we  can  be  all  by  our- 
selves," Harry  said,  and  led  the  way  into  a 
pretty  little  parlor,  reserved  for  the  private 
use  of  members  of  the  Yahara  Boys'  Club. 

"  Now,"  Harry  began,  after  the  three  boys 
had  seated  themselves,  addressing  himself  to 


The  Council  15 

Bill  Burke,  "  of  course  you  know,  as  everybody 
in  town  knows,  that  Dick  and  I  are  going  out 
to  Colorado  this  summer  to  spend  our  vacation 
on  Abel  Johnson's  ranch,  and  to  hunt  deer 
and  bear  and  buffalo  on  the  neighboring  plains 
and  in  the  near-by  mountains.  At  least  this  is 
supposed  to  be  the  purpose  of  our  journey. 
But — "  Here  Harry  paused  and  looked  Bill 
Burke  straight  in  the  eye.  "  Can  you  keep  a 
secret,  Bill  Burke  ?  "  he  asked. 

Bill  Burke's  face  took  on  a  look  of  preter- 
natural solemnity,  while  his  eyes  rolled  from 
the  face  of  one  boy  to  the  face  of  the  other, 
inquiringly.  "  'Deed  I  can,  boss,"  he  answered. 
"  I  nebber  knowed  a  secret  to  done  get  away 
from  dis  har  chile.  I  's " 

"All  right,"  Harry  broke  in.  "Now  re- 
member you  are  to  tell  no  one  what  I  am 
about  to  tell  you." 

"Yes,  boss."  Bill  Burke  had  the  habit  of 
calling  every  white  person,  young  or  old,  of 
the  male  gender  "  boss."  "  I  '11  nebber  done 
tell  nobody." 

"  When  Dick  and  I  were  out  West  last  sum- 
mer," Harry  continued,  "we  found  a  cave  in 
the  mountains  stored  with  a  vast  treasure  of 
gold  and  silver  and  precious  jewels,  the  treas- 
ure-chamber of  kings  dead  these  thousands  of 


1 6  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

years ;  but  we  could  take  only  a  few  jewels 
with  us,  because  the  Indians  were  after  us  and 
we  were  glad  enough  to  get  away  with  our 
lives.  Now,  we  are  going  back  this  summer 
to  find  this  cave  and  get  the  treasure  ;  and  Dick 
and  I  want  you  to  go  with  us.  Will  you  go  ?" 

Bill  Burke  stared  for  a  moment  blankly  at 
Harry,  while  the  black  skin  on  his  face  twisted  it- 
self into  the  most  comical  expression  of  pleased 
astonishment.  "  Lo'd,  I  's  jes'  been  dyin'  to  go 
wid  yo' ! "  he  exclaimed,  "  ebber  since  I  knowed 
yo'wasgoin'!  'Deed  I'll  go!  'Deed  I  will!" 

"  But,"  Harry  explained,  "  it  won't  be  all  fun. 
You  '11  have  to  work — cook  and  take  care  of 
horses,  and  that  sort  of  thing — and  maybe  fight 
Indians  and  get  killed." 

"  And  have  the  top  of  your  head  skinned," 
Dick  broke  in  warningly,  "  or  the  hide  all  burnt 
off  your  body,  or  get  your  neck  broke  by  a 
bucking  bronco,  or  your  face  all  chawed  up  by 
a  grizzly  bear.  'T  won't  be  no  holiday  excur- 
sion, Bill  Burke,  but  there  '11  be  plenty  of  ex- 
citement and  fun  ;  and  we  '11  take  you  with  us, 
if  you  want  to  go,  now  that  you  know  just  what 
sort  of  a  thing  we  are  going  into  ;  but  we  won't 
guarantee  to  deliver  you  safe  and  sound  back 
here  in  Yahara  next  fall.  Think  twice  before 
you  speak,  Bill  Burke." 


The  Council  17 

"  'Deed  I  hab  thinked  sebben  times  sebben, 
an'  ebbery  think  I  want  to  go  sebben  times 
worser,"  replied  the  negro.  "  Dis  niggah  don't 
care  nuffin'  fo'  Indians.  I  'spise  'em.  An'  if 
a  grizzly  bear  done  cotch  me,  I 's  goin'  to  teach 
Massah  Bear  to  be  'spectful  to  dis  har  niggah, 
or  I  '11  lam  my  head  into  his  ribs  an'  knock  de 
bre'f  out  ob  his  body.  'Deed  I  '11  go,  Massah 
Dick  an'  Harry ;  an'  I 's  much  obligated  to  yo'. 
'Deed  I  is,"  and  he  bowed  profoundly  to  the 
boys,  while  his  black  face  fairly  shone  with  the 
pleasure  their  unexpected  offer  had  brought  him. 

For  nearly  an  hour  after  this  the  three  boys 
sat  close  together,  talking  in  low,  excited  voices  ; 
and,  when  they  separated  for  the  night,  it  was 
definitely  determined  that  Bill  Burke  should 
accompany  them  on  their  journey  to  the  Colo- 
rado mountains.  It  was  also  decided  that  the 
start  for  the  West  should  be  made  on  the  fif- 
teenth day  of  June,  which  would  be  the  first 
Monday  after  the  close  of  the  city  schools,  the 
boys  feeling  sure  of  being  able  to  secure  their 
parents'  consent  to  that  date  for  the  day  of 
their  departure. 

'  The  summer  before  the  beginning  of  this 
story,  Richard  A.  Orson  and  Harry  J.  Ashton 
— Dick  and  Harry,  as  their  friends  all  called 
them — had  gone  on  a  hunting  trip  to  the  far 


1 8  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

West,  under  the  charge  of  Captain  David 
Kent,  a  famous  hunter,  scout,  and  Indian 
fighter ;  and,  while  in  the  mountains  of  Colo- 
rado, had  found  a  cave  containing  an  enormous 
treasure  of  gold  and  silver  and  precious  jewels, 
but,  on  account  of  trouble  with  the  Indians, 
they  had  been  unable  to  take  any  of  the 
treasure  with  them,  except  two  vases  filled  with 
precious  jewels.* 

It  was  then  planned  that  Dick  and  Harry 
should  meet  Captain  Kent  at  the  ranch  of 
Abel  Johnson  the  next  summer;  and  that 
from  here  an  expedition  under  his  command 
should  start  out  in  search  of  the  treasure  cave. 

Dick  and  Harry  had  wisely  said  nothing 
about  this  treasure,  nor  the  real  purpose  of 
their  second  journey,  only  telling  their  friends 
that  they  were  going  West  to  hunt  with  Cap- 
tain Kent ;  for  adventurers  and  desperadoes 
would  have  hurried  thither  from  the  four  quar- 
ters of  the  globe  had  it  become  known  that 
such  a  vast  treasure  was  hidden  away  among 
the  mountains  of  Colorado. 

*  A  full  account  of  the  adventures  of  Dick  and  Harry  during  this 
hunting  trip — their  capture  by  the  Indians,  strange  rescue  by  the 
giant  hermit,  his  marvellous  rifle,  the  great  hollow  tree,  the  finding 
of  the  treasure  cave,  the  weird  journey  through  the  bowels  of  the 
earth — is  given  in  Chums  in  the  Far  West,  the  first  book  of  this 
series. 


The  Council  19 

This  will  explain  why  the  two  boys  were  so 
careful  to  impress  upon  Bill  Burke  the  need  of 
secrecy — they  were  too  honest  to  allow  him  to 
go  ignorant  of  the  perils  and  hardships  that 
would  beset  such  an  undertaking — and  will 
give  our  readers  to  understand  that  this  pres- 
ent venture  of  Dick  and  Harry  is  to  be  some- 
thing more  than  a  deer  or  bear  hunt  in  the 
mountains  of  Colorado. 


CHAPTER  III 

COWBOY    WELCOME 

SOME  three  weeks  after  the  happening 
of  the  events  narrated  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  early  in  the  afternoon  of  a  hot  June 
day,  three  men,  covered  with  dust,  rode  into 
the  town  of  El  Moro,  a  small  railway  station 
situated  some  thirty  miles  east  of  the  Culebra 
Mountains  in  southern  Colorado.  One  of  these 
men,  to  his  very  evident  disgust,  drove  a  team 
of  broncos  harnessed  to  a  light  wagon,  and  the 
other  two  were  on  horseback.  They  fastened 
their  horses  to  hitching-posts  in  front  of  a 
grocery  store,  and  then  hurried  directly  to  the 
railway  station,  regardless  of  the  pressing  invi- 
tations of  a  number  of  men,  standing  in  front 
of  saloons,  to  come  in  and  take  a  drink. 

The  man  who  drove  the  broncos  was  tall 
and  lank  and  big-boned,  with  red  hair,  and 
a  long  red  mustache,  bristling  each  side 
of  a  red  nose  that  stood  out  from  the  face 
like  a  huge  rock  and  overhung  a  mouth  that 


Cowboy  Welcome  21 

appeared  almost  large  enough  to  swallow  the 
lower  half  of  his  face.  Yet  it  was  not  an  un- 
pleasant countenance  to  look  at.  There  was 
a  good-natured  twinkle  in  the  brown  eyes, 
and  humorous  wrinkles  surrounded  the  huge 
mouth,  while  the  whole  face  wore  an  ex- 
pression of  such  frank  honesty  and  rugged 
strength  of  character  that  one  felt  intuitively 
that  here  was  a  man  who  could  be  depended 
on  in  time  of  danger  or  trouble.  His  com- 
panions called  him  Red  Hank,  but  his  parents 
had  named  him  Henry — Henry  John  Auker- 
man — an  appellation,  by  the  way,  that  had  not 
been  applied  to  him  for  many  a  year. 

One  of  his  comrades,  the  one  who  rode 
a  coal-black  bronco  of  unusual  size  and  power- 
ful build,  was  a  young  man  whose  brown  hair 
shadowed  a  broad  forehead,  from  beneath 
which  looked  a  pair  of  fearless  blue  eyes.  A 
strong  nose  and  chin  and  a  firm-lipped  mouth, 
guarded  by  a  long  and  carefully  trimmed  mus- 
tache, completed  a  face  that  would  have  been 
called  striking  and  manly,  if  not  handsome, 
anywhere.  In  form  this  young  man  was 
straight  as  an  arrow,  broad-shouldered  and 
narrow-hipped,  with  an  easy  grace  of  move- 
ment that  spoke  of  well-trained  supple  mus- 
cles. On  the  ranch  he  was  known  as  Cowboy 

E 


22  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Jim  ;  and  famed  as  the  best  all-round  cowboy 
in  southern  Colorado.  When  he  was  a  boy, 
going  to  school  in  Vermont,  he  had  signed 
his  name  as  James  W.  Strong  ;  but  that  was 
many,  many  years  ago. 

The  third  man  of  this  interesting  trio  was  a 
short,  thick-set  German,  with  the  characteristic 
German  face  and  phlegmatic  nature.  His 
name  was  as  short  as  his  stature.  Dutch  was 
what  his  fellow-cowboys  called  him  ;  and 
if  he  ever  had  had  another  name  it  had  long 
since  been  forgotten,  y 

The  three  men  were  evidently  clothed  in 
their  richest  apparel.  Broad-brimmed  felt 
hats,  generously  ornamented  with  silver  braids 
and  tassels,  covered  their  heads  ;  bright  silk 
handkerchiefs  were  knotted  loosely  around 
their  necks ;  blue  flannel  shirts  protected  their 
bodies  ;  and  their  legs  were  incased  in  strong 
new  trousers,  tucked  in  high-heeled  boots.  In 
addition  the  two  horsemen  had  heavy  silver 
spurs  strapped  to  their  boots,  and  wore  leather 
"snaps,"  or  heavy  riding  overalls.  Each  man 
carried  a  rifle,  and  the  belts  around  their 
waists  held  two  large  six-shooters.  Strong 
heavy  saddles,  richly  decorated  with  silver, 
nearly  covered  the  backs  and  sides  of  the 
two  riding  horses  from  withers  to  hips,  while 


Cowboy  Welcome  23 

the  ranchman's  ever-present  help  in  time  of 
trouble,  strong  rope  lassos,  hung,  neatly 
coiled,  to  the  high  pommels.  The  bits  and 
headpieces  of  the  bridles  were  lavishly  be- 
decked with  silver,  and  the  reins  were  almost 
as  long  as  plough-lines. 

On  reaching  the  little  station  the  three  men 
began  walking  up  and  down  the  platform  un- 
easily, casting  expectant  glances  every  now 
and  then  up  the  railroad  track.  Plainly  they 
were  expecting  friends  on  the  coming  train, 
doubtless  the  ones  in  whose  honor  they  had 
ridden  so  far  and  dressed  themselves  in  their 
best. 

"  If  that  steam  hoss  gets  in  on  time  they  '11 
be  here  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,"  Cowboy  Jim 
remarked,  after  having  carefully  inspected  a 
huge  open-faced  silver  watch.  "  But  I  reckon 
a  train  is  like  a  buckin'  bronco,  an'  not  to  be 
depended  on  none  much  to  get  to  any  place  at 
any  particular  time.  Hello,  in  there  !  "  This 
to  the  station  agent  inside  the  little  building. 
44  When  '11  that  Eastern  locomotive  be  trottin* 
in  ?  We  're  expectin'  friends." 

"  In  about  half  an  hour,"  answered  the  sta- 
tion agent.  "  Say,  are  you  fellows  from  Abel 
Johnson's  ranch  ?  " 

-Yes." 


24  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  Who  's  dead  up  there  ? " 

The  three  cowboys  stared  in  surprise  at  the 
man,  and  then  came  up  close  to  the  little 
window  through  which  the  agent  transacted 
business  with  the  patrons  of  the  road. 

"  That  's  an  uncommon  queer  question  to 
ask,  stranger ;  leastwise  it  seems  so  to  us,  who 
have  just  come  from  Abel  Johnson's  ranch, 
where  we  left  everybody  uncommon  well  an' 
lively.  Now,  might  I  ask  why  you  asket  it?" 
and  Cowboy  Jim  leaned  his  elbows  on  the 
window  shelf,  and  looked  inquiringly  at  the 
agent. 

"  Well,"  answered  the  agent,  without  the 
sign  of  a  smile  on  his  long,  sallow  face,  "  yes- 
terday's freight  left  a  long,  narrow  box,  just 
about  the  size  and  build  of  a  coffin,  addressed 
to  Abel  Johnson  ;  so  I  calculated  that  some- 
one had  died  up  there  and  that  you  were  going 
to  bury  him  decent-like  in  a  city  coffin.  Any- 
way, the  thing  looks  just  like  a  coffin,  but  it 
says  *  FIREWORKS  !  BEWARE  ! '  across  the  top  of 
the  box,  so  I  might  be  mistaken,"  and  for  the 
first  time  a  faint  smile  flickered  around  the 
agent's  lips. 

"  Fireworks  ! "  and  Cowboy  Jim  grinned  joy- 
ously. "  You  bet  them  's  fireworks  !  Why, 
there  's  a  hull  Fourth  o'  July  in  that  there 


Cowboy  Welcome  25 

box  !  We  're  goin'  to  make  th'  American 
eagle  scream  some  up  at  the  ranch.  '  Now, 
rustle  that  box  out  lively,  an'  we  '11  get  it  in  th' 
wagin  'fore  th'  kids  come.  Here  you,  Red, 
get  after  them  tame  broncos  of  yourn.  Come 
on,  Dutch,  we  '11  get  th'  box  ready  to  dump 
into  th'  wagin.  'T  won't  do  to  have  them 
broncos  near  when  that  steam  hoss  comes 
puffin'  an'  snortin'  in,"  and  Cowboy  Jim,  fol- 
lowed by  Dutch,  hurried  away  to  the  freight 
room,  while  Red  Hank  went  after  the  team 
and  wagon. 

Fifteen  minutes  later  the  box  of  fireworks 
was  in  the  wagon,  the  broncos  were  safely 
hitched  to  posts  at  a  distance  from  the  station, 
and  the  three  men  were  again  standing  on  the 
depot  platform,  their  eyes  turned  anxiously  in 
the  direction  of  a  distant  pile  of  rocks  around 
whose  base  the  train  would  first  come  in  sight. 

"  Now,  I  '11  gamble  that  Sambo  '11  know  Dick 
as  quick  as  you  or  I,  Red,"  Cowboy  Jim  re- 
marked. "  He  's  got  an  uncommon  memory, 
Sambo  has  ;  an'  I  never  saw  a  hoss  take  to  a 
fellow  th'  way  he  did  to  Dick.  Whoop ! 
There  comes  th'  train  !  "  and  in  the  exuberance 
of  his  feelings  Cowboy  Jim  yanked  off  his 
wide  sombrero,  swung  it  wildly  around  his 
head,  and  yelled.  Red  Hank  and  Dutch  did 


26  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

their  level  best  to  follow  suit,  with  the  result 
that  when  the  train  pulled  into  El  Moro  nearly 
every  car  window  had  a  head  sticking  out  of  it 
with  eyes  staring  curiously  at  the  three  yelling 
cowboys,  the  owners  doubtless  wondering 
whether  the  men  were  insane  or  drunk. 

The  instant  the  train  stopped,  two  boys,  fol- 
lowed by  a  huge  negro  lad  whose  eyes  were 
rolling  with  excitement,  jumped  off  the  cars. 
The  three  cowboys,  with  a  yell  that  almost 
lifted  the  hair  on  the  heads  of  the  staring  pas- 
sengers, made  a  dash  for  the  boys,  grabbed 
their  hands,  slapped  them  on  the  backs ;  and 
then,  their  feelings  getting  the  better  of  them, 
they  yanked  their  revolvers  out  of  their  belts 
and,  pointing  them  straight  up  into  the  air,  be- 
gan firing  them  off  and  yelling,  to  the  very  evi- 
dent embarrassment  of  the  negro  boy,  who 
stood  with  mouth  agape  with  astonishment, 
not  knowing  what  to  make  of  the  hilarious 
welcome  of  these  wild-looking  fellows. 

Dick  and  Harry,  for  the  two  boys  were  our 
young  friends,  were  almost  as  much  excited  as 
were  the  cowboys  themselves,  and  joined  in 
the  yelling,  and  would  have  joined  in  the  firing 
of  the  revolvers  if  they  had  had  their  weapons 
where  they  could  quickly  have  laid  their  hands 
on  them.  But  in  a  few  minutes  the  noise  of 


Cowboy  Welcome  27 

the  welcome  was  over  ;  and  then  the  cowboys, 
for  the  first  time,  appeared  to  notice  Bill 
Burke — for  the  negro  boy  was  none  other 
than  our  black  friend  of  the  gymnasium. 

"  Mr.  Bill  Burke,  a  colored  gentleman  and 
our  very  good  friend ;  Cowboy  Jim,  Red 
Hank,  and  Dutch,"  and  Harry  indicated  by  a 
nod  of  the  head  to  which  cowboy  the  proper 
appellation  belonged. 

Cowboy  Jim  gripped  Bill  Burke  by  the 
hand.  "  Glad  to  know  you,"  he  said.  "  Glad 
to  know  any  friend  of  Dick's  an'  Harry's,  an* 
I  don't  care  a  coyote's  tooth  what  his  color  is," 
and  he  shook  the  hand  heartily. 

Bill  Burke  smiled  all  over  his  face.  "  I  's 
done  powerful  electrified  to  make  yo'r  ac- 
quaintanceship, 'deed  I  is,  Massah  Jim  Cow- 
boy," and  he  returned  the  grip  of  the  cowboy 
with  fervour. 

Red  Hank  was  more  deliberate,  but  not  less 
hearty  in  his  welcome  to  the  negro. 

Dutch  called  him  a  "  pully  poy,  mit  a  face 
that  would  make  a  coyote  laugh,"  and  slapped 
him  on  the  back,  and  grinned  delightedly. 

At  this  moment  a  tall  man,  with  a  huge 
black  mustache,  small  black  eyes,  and  long 
black  hair,  who  had  come  on  the  same  train 
with  the  boys,  approached,  and,  looking  at 


28  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Cowboy  Jim,  said:  "I  to  the  ranch  of  Abel 
Johnson  would  go.  I  in  Trinidad  was  told 
that  he  was  short  on  help  and  that  a  job  with 
him  I  was  almost  sure  to  get.  Can  you  direct 
me,  sefior?" 

Cowboy  Jim  coldly  looked  the  questioner 
over  from  head  to  foot.  "  Mexican  ? "  he 
asked  shortly. 

"  Si,  sefior,  Mexican  vaquero,"  replied  the 
man.  "  I  in  New  Mexico  have  worked  for  the 
last  ten  years.  I  a  bucking  bronco  can  ride 
or  rope  a  wild  steer  with  any  cowboy  in  the 
country,  and  I  seek  work." 

"  Don't  talk  like  a  Mexican,  except  the  brag," 
Cowboy  Jim  said,  with  evident  suspicion. 

"  I  from  an  educated  man  learnt  to  talk 
United  States."  The  Mexican's  dark  face  be- 
gan to  flush  angrily.  "  Must  I  my  pedigree 
give  in  this  town  before  I  an  answer  to  a  civil 
question  can  get?  I  the  way  to  Abel  John- 
son's ranch  seek.  Sabe  ?  " 

"  Now,  don't  yank  on  the  bits,"  Cowboy 
Jim  answered  slowly.  "  I  'm  foreman  on  Abel 
Johnson's  ranch,  an'  I  don't  pass  no  testi- 
monials in  for  any  man  unless  I  know  some- 
thin'  'bout  him.  Mexicans  we  don't  like  a 
whole  lot ;  but  I  suppose  there  is  some  good 
Mexicans  as  well  as  Indians  ;  an'  maybe 


Cowboy  Welcome  29 

you  Ve  been  in  th'  States  long  enough  to  get 
some  of  th'  devilment  knocked  out  of  you. 
Anyway,  you  're  right  on  our  bein'  short  on 
help,  an'  if  you  care  to  ride  a  plank  for  some 
twenty-five  miles,  you  can  come  with  us,  an' 
I  '11  see  if  th'  boss  can  use  you.  Now,  what 
might  your  name  be  ?" 

"  I  Black  Juan  am  called,  seftor,"  the  man  an- 
swered ;  and  there  was  a  wicked  gleam  in  his 
small  eyes  as  he  added  :  "  I  '11  go,  and  your 
plank  ride,  seftor." 

"  All  right,"  responded  Cowboy  Jim.  "  Red 
Hank  will  pilot  you  to  the  ranch  carriage." 

On  the  way  to  the  wagon  and  horses  it  was 
decided  to  go  to  the  hotel  and  "  feed,"  before 
starting  back  to  the  ranch.  The  cowboys  had 
ridden  far  and  were  hungry  ;  Dick  and  Harry 
vowed  they  had  not  had  a  square  meal  since 
leaving  Yahara  ;  Bill  Burke's  smile  almost  swal- 
lowed his  ears  when  he  heard  food  mentioned  ; 
and  even  the  surly  Mexican  looked  pleased. 
Besides,  the  horses  needed  rest  and  food. 

"  It  's  now  two  o'clock,"  cowboy  Jim  said, 
again  consulting  his  watch.  "  We  '11  take  an 
hour  off  for  food  an'  talk,  but  not  a  minute 
longer.  Come  on,"  and,  giving  orders  to  the 
stableman  to  feed  and  water  the  broncos,  he 
led  the  way  into  the  dining-room  of  the  hotel. 

F 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE    GAMBLERS 

OF  course  Dick  and  Harry  were  loaded  with 
questions  about  Loretta,  and  Abel  John- 
son, and  the  cowboys,  and  the  horses,  and  the 
ranch  in  general ;  and  these  they  fired  at  Cow- 
boy Jim  and  his  companions  between  every 
mouthful,  until  at  length  Dutch  exclaimed, 
disgustedly  :  "  Oh,  vaits  untils  I  mine  stomach 
fulls,  und  den  I  tells  you  all  about  dat  leetel 
gal.  Loretta.  It  's  pad  for  der  stomach  to 
talk  so  fast  und  eats  so  slow.  Yaw,  Loretta 
ist  von  nice  leetel  gal,"  and  he  winked  one  eye 
at  Dick,  "  but  der  goot  grub — "  Here  a  huge 
piece  of  buffalo  steak  choked  his  further  utter- 
ance, much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  boys, 
both  of  whose  faces  had  flushed  at  the  words 
of  their  German  friend  ;  and  it  was  noticeable 
that  during  the  remainder  of  the  journey  to 
the  ranch  neither  Dick  nor  Harry  asked  a 
single  question  about  Loretta. 

The   barroom   of    the   hotel   adjoined   the 


The  Gamblers  31 

dining-room ;  and  through  the  wide-opened 
door  between  the  two  rooms,  Dick  and  Harry 
could  see  the  picturesque-looking  cowboys, 
gamblers,  Mexicans,  and  half-breed  Indians 
that  swarmed  around  the  bar,  or  were  seated 
at  little  round  tables,  drinking  and  playing 
cards.  Presently  their  interest  became  cen- 
tred in  four  men,  who  sat  at  a  table  directly 
within  their  line  of  vision.  Two  of  these  men 
were  cowboys,  and  the  other  two  were  evi- 
dently gamblers.  The  men  were  playing 
cards,  and  a  small  pile  of  gold  coins  was 
stacked  near  the  centre  of  the  table.  One  of 
the  gamblers  sat  with  his  back  toward  Dick 
and  Harry,  while  directly  across  the  table 
from  him  was  one  of  the  cowboys,  the  other 
cowboy  and  the  gambler  occupying  the  re- 
maining opposite  sides  of  the  table.  Now  it 
happened  that  the  eyes  of  Dick  and  Harry 
chanced  to  be  fixed  on  the  man  who  sat  with 
his  back  toward  them,  just  at  the  right  mo- 
ment to  see  a  card  jump  from  the  outside 
pocket  of  his  coat,  to  the  edge  of  the  table, 
where  it  quickly  disappeared  within  the  man's 
hands,  while  a  moment  afterward  they  saw  him 
drop  a  card  on  the  floor  and  quickly  place  one 
of  his  feet  over  it.  Before  the  two  boys  fully 
comprehended  what  this  action  meant,  Red 


32  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Hank  leaned  across  the  table  and  whispered  a 
few  words  in  Cowboy  Jim's  ear. 

Cowboy  Jim  at  once  arose  from  the  table. 
"  Excuse  Red  Hank  an'  me,  for  a  few  min- 
utes," he  said.  "  We  Ve  a  little  business  that 
needs  'tendin'  to  right  at  this  identical  mo- 
ment," and,  followed  by  Red  Hank,  he  walked 
slowly  toward  the  table  where  sat  the  four 
men. 

At  this  moment  the  card-players  threw  down 
their  cards,  faces  up,  the  cowboys,  with  an 
oath,  pushed  back  their  chairs  from  the  table, 
and  one  of  the  gamblers  reached  forth  a  hand 
to  seize  the  little  pile  of  gold ;  but,  before  his 
hand  touched  the  pile,  a  stern  voice  said : 
"  Keep  your  hands  off  that  gold  ! " 

The  startled  gambler  whirled  around  to  see 
Cowboy  Jim  standing  not  six  feet  from  him, 
with  a  six-shooter  levelled  straight  at  his  head, 
while  by  his  side  stood  Red  Hank,  his  right 
hand  resting  on  the  butt  of  his  revolver,  and 
his  eyes  watching  every  movement  of  the 
other  gambler. 

"  Stand  up  and  hold  your  hands  above  your 
head  !  "  commanded  Cowboy  Jim. 

"Who  the  dev — "  attempted  to  bluff  the 
gambler. 

"  Stand  up  !     Quick  !  "     There  was  an  omi- 


The  Gamblers  33 

nous  gleam  in  Cowboy  Jim's  eyes  that  brought 
the  gambler  trembling  to  his  feet,  with  his 
hands  held  high  above  his  head. 

By  this  time  every  man  in  the  barroom  was 
on  his  feet,  staring  at  Cowboy  Jim  and  the 
gamblers. 

"  Men,"  Cowboy  Jim  said,  without  for  an 
instant  taking  his  eyes  from  the  face  of  the 
trembling  man  before  him,  "  my  pardner  saw 
this  man  sneak  a  card  from  his  pocket  to  his 
hand,  an'  a  moment  after  drop  a  card  on  th' 
floor.  Now,  will  two  of  you  men  come  for- 
ward an'  examine  th'  pack  on  th'  table  an'  see 
if  there  are  two  cards  alike  in  it  ?  " 

An  angry  muttering,  almost  like  the  growl 
of  some  huge  monster,  came  from  the  crowd 
of  men.  At  that  time,  and  in  that  country,  to 
be  discovered  cheating  at  cards  usually  meant 
instant  death  at  the  hands  of  the  wronged 
party — that  is,  if  he  could  get  his  hand  on  his 
revolver  first ;  or,  if  he  was  unable  to  avenge 
his  own  wrong,  every  honest  man  in  the  town 
was  more  than  ready  to  lend  him  a  helping 
hand.  No  one  knew  this  better  than  the  man 
who  now  stood  looking  into  the  muzzle  of 
Cowboy  Jim's  six-shooter ;  and  had  it  not 
been  for  the  steady,  stern  eyes  behind  that 
weapon  he  would  have  made  a  bolt  through  a 


34  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

near-by  window  for  his  bronco,  which  stood 
hitched  to  a  post  not  two  rods  away.  How- 
ever, he  stood  exactly  where  he  was,  not  ven- 
turing to  lift  a  foot  an  inch  from  the  floor. 

The  landlord  of  the  hotel  and  a  smooth- 
faced, magisterial-looking  man,  known  as  the 
Judge,  promptly  came  forward,  and  with  swift 
fingers  quickly  examined  the  cards  on  the 
table. 

"  Two  aces  of  the  same  spot,"  reported  the 
Judge,  holding  up  the  two  cards  where  all 
could  see.  "The  two  of  spades  is  missing." 

The  angry  mutterings  of  the  crowd  grew 
louder. 

"  Look  under  the  table,"  said  Cowboy  Jim. 

The  landlord  and  the  Judge  looked  under 
the  table,  but  found  no  card.  For  a  moment 
they  were  nonplussed. 

"Look  under  the  man's  foot!"  cried  Dick, 
excitedly.  "  I  saw  him  put  his  foot  over  the 
card." 

The  gambler  was  ordered  to  lift  up  his  feet. 
He  did  so,  one  after  the  other,  but  no  card 
was  found. 

"  Examine  the  sole  of  his  boot,"  Harry  said. 
"  Maybe  the  card  stuck.  I  know  I  saw  him 
put  his  right  foot  on  the  card." 

The  Judge  stooped  and  lifted  the  gambler's 


The  Gamblers  35 

right  foot.  From  the  sole  of  the  boot  he 
picked  the  missing  card,  where  it  was  stuck 
fast  by  some  gummy  substance. 

A  yell  of  rage  came  from  the  surrounding 
crowd,  and  the  circle  of  men  around  the  two 
gamblers  grew  smaller. 

"  If  you  're  needin'  more  evidence  you  'd 
better  take  a  look  in  his  outside  coat  pocket," 
Red  Hank  suggested. 

The  landlord  thrust  his  hand  in  the  pocket, 
and  drew  out  a  half  a  dozen  of  the  best  cards 
in  a  pack.  A  thin,  almost  invisible  piece  of 
rubber  was  attached  by  a  bit  of  wax  to  each 
card,  while  a  wire  mechanism  fastened  to  the 
bottom  of  the  coat  pocket  held  the  cards  until 
one  of  the  rubbers  was  stretched  sufficiently  to 
snap  the  card  wanted  out  of  the  pocket  and  up 
to  the  table,  where  it  could  easily  be  secured 
by  the  hand.  It  took  but  an  instant  for  every 
man  in  that  crowd  to  understand  what  this 
mechanism  meant ;  and,  with  angry  roar,  the 
circle  closed  in  on  the  two  gamblers. 

The  Judge  and  the  landlord  both  leaped 
upon  the  table.  With  quick  steps  Cowboy 
Jim  and  Red  Hank  placed  themselves  by  the 
sides  of  their  prisoners.  The  two  cowboys 
sprang  furiously  toward  the  men  who  had  tried 
to  rob  them,  but  were  held  at  bay  by  the 


36  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

muzzles  of  Cowboy  Jim's  and  Red  Hank's 
revolvers. 

"Back,  men!"  yelled  the  Judge.  "Th' 
scoundrels  can't  get  away.  Now  let  us  pro- 
ceed judicial  like." 

The  men  stopped,  held  in  check  by  the 
Judge's  words  and  the  threatening  attitudes 
of  Cowboy  Jim  and  Red  Hank. 

"Now,"  continued  the  Judge,  "is  the  evi- 
dence deemed  sufficient  to  convict  these  two 
men  of  an  attempt  to  rob  Long  Bill  and  Ike 
Donovan  by  means  of  cheatin'  at  cards  ?  All 
who  think  it  is  yell,  aye." 

There  were,  perhaps,  twenty-five  men  in  the 
barroom,  but  the  yell  that  came  in  response 
to  the  Judge's  query  sounded  as  if  a  thousand 
throats  had  uttered  it. 

"  Let  all  who  think  contrariwise  yell,  no." 

For  a  moment  it  was  so  still  in  the  room 
that  all  could  hear  the  frightened  breathings 
of  the  two  gamblers. 

"  This  court  finds  the  prisoners  guilty,  as 
charged,"  pronounced  the  Judge;  and  then, 
throwing  aside  all  his  judicial  dignity  of  man- 
ner, he  yelled :  "  Run  the  scoundrels  out  of 
El  Moro,  boys  !  Run  them  out  of  El  Moro  ! " 
and  he  leaped  down  from  the  table,  followed 
by  the  landlord. 


The  Gamblers  37 

In  a  moment  a  dozen  hands  had  roughly 
seized  the  two  gamblers,  quickly  disarmed 
them,  and,  yelling  and  cursing,  were  hauling 
them  outdoors.  In  five  minutes  more  the 
two  men  were  tied  astride  of  their  broncos 
and  stationed  in  front  of  the  hotel  entrance, 
with  eight  cowboys  sitting  on  their  horses  a 
rod  behind  them.  Each  of  these  eight  cow- 
boys held  in  his  right  hand  a  heavy  cow-quirt, 
and  all  sat  their  horses  as  if  they  were  about 
to  begin  a  race.  At  their  head  rode  Long 
Bill  and  Ike  Donovan,  the  two  cowboys  whom 
the  gamblers  had  attempted  to  rob.  A  cow- 
boy stood  at  the  head  of  each  gambler's  horse, 
holding  him  by  the  bit. 

When  all  was  ready  the  Judge  stepped  out 
in  front  of  the  gamblers,  holding  in  his  hand  a 
revolver.  "  There  is  only  one  kind  of  punish- 
ment fit  for  such  contemptible  scoundrels  as 
you  are,"  he  said,  "  and  that  is  to  whip  you 
out  of  town  like  the  two  curs  that  you  are,  and 
to  warn  you  that  if  you  ever  show  your  faces 
in  El  Moro  again  we  '11  plant  you  deep  in  the 
little  graveyard  yonder  on  the  hillside.  All 
ready,  boys  ?  "  and  the  Judge  raised  his  revolver 
above  his  head. 

The  two  gamblers  crouched  forward  until 
their  white  faces  nearly  touched  their  horses' 


38  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

manes ;  the  eight  cowboys  in  the  rear  held 
their  quirts  high  in  the  air,  ready  to  strike 
their  horses  the  instant  the  signal  was  given  ; 
and  the  crowd  of  onlookers,  that  now  included 
nearly  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  El 
Moro,  held  their  breath,  their  eyes  fixed  on 
the  up-lifted  arm  of  the  Judge. 

For  the  briefest  fraction  of  a  second  there 
was  absolute  silence,  then,  CRACK  !  went  the 
Judge's  revolver.  The  two  cowboys  dropped 
the  bits  of  the  gamblers'  horses  and  jumped 
aside  ;  the  horses  of  the  gamblers  leaped  for- 
ward as  if  shot  from  strong  bows ;  and,  with  a 
yell  that  could  be  heard  for  miles,  the  eight 
cowboys  brought  down  their  quirts  on  their 
horses'  flanks,  and,  like  a  pack  of  hounds  in 
full  cry,  were  after  their  prey. 

Before  the  gamblers  had  ridden  twenty  rods 
the  cowboys  were  upon  them,  yelling  like 
fiends  and  lashing  them  unmercifully  over 
their  backs  with  their  heavy  rawhide  quirts ; 
and,  until  pursued  and  pursuers  passed  over 
the  brow  of  a  distant  hill  and  were  hidden 
from  sight,  Dick  and  Harry  could  hear  the 
yells  of  the  cowboys,  the  screams  of  the  tor- 
tured gamblers,  and  see  the  quirts  falling  on 
the  cringing  backs  of  the  two  blacklegs. 

"  That 's  what  I  call  a  good  way  to  stampede 


The  Gamblers  39 

bad  rubbish,"  Cowboy  Jim  said.  "  Now  I 
fancy  them  two  rascals  won't  never  forget  El 
Moro  as  long  as  there  is  a  scrap  of  hide  left 
on  their  backs.  Come  on,  boys.  It  's  time  we 
were  strikin'  th'  home  trail,"  and  he  turned  to 
Dick  and  Harry  and  Bill  Burke,  who  still  stood 
staring  at  the  point  of  the  hill  where  the 
gamblers  and  cowboys  had  vanished.  "  Come 
on,  Dick.  I  want  to  see  if  Sambo  will  know 
you." 

The  moment  Dick  came  in  sight  of  Sambo, 
he  made  a  rush  for  the  black,  and  threw  his 
arms  around  the  arched  neck.  The  bronco 
rubbed  his  head  fondly  against  Dick's  shoul- 
ders, nibbled  at  him  daintily  with  his  lips,  and 
said  by  his  actions  as  plainly  as  if  he  had 
spoken  :  "  I  know  you,  Dick,  and  I  'm  glad  to 
see  you." 

"  There,  what  did  I  tell  you  ? "  exclaimed 
his  delighted  owner.  "  That  hoss  is  'most 
human.  He  never  forgets  a  friend,  nor  an 
enemy.  Now,  pile  into  th'  ranch  carriage. 
We  must  hit  th'  breeze  mighty  hard,  or  we 
won't  see  Lone  Hill  ranch  to-night." 


CHAPTER  V 

A    FRIENDLY    WARNING 

THE  "ranch  carriage"  was  a  light  wagon, 
with  two  wide  boards  placed  across  the 
top  of  the  box  for  seats.  On  the  first  of  these 
boards  sat  Red  Hank,  the  driver,  and  Dick. 
The  Mexican  and  Harry  occupied  the  second 
board,  while  Bill  Burke  found  a  seat  on  the 
box  of  fireworks  in  the  back  part  of  the  wagon. 
Cowboy  Jim  and  Dutch  rode  their  broncos, 
one  on  each  side  of  the  wagon.  As  they 
drove  out  of  town  they  met  a  cowboy  gallop- 
ing in.  The  cowboy  pulled  up  with  a  jerk 
that  threw  his  horse  back  on  his  haunches. 

"  Is  this  outfit  bound  for  Lone  Hill  ranch?" 
he  asked,  his  eyes  glancing  at  the  brands  on 
the  horses. 

"Yes,"  answered  Cowboy  Jim,  halting 
Sambo.  "We  're  bound  for  Lone  Hill  ranch. 
Any  objections,  stranger  ?  " 

"  Not  a-one,"  replied  the  cowboy.  "  Jest 
thought  I  'd  stop  an'  tell  you  that  Running 


A  Friendly  Warning  41 

Bear,  at  th'  head  of  'bout  fifty  bucks,  is  re- 
ported ugly  an'  roamin'  wild  somewhere  be- 
tween here  an'  th'  Culebra  Mountains.  No- 
harm  done,  I  hope,  partner." 

"This  outfit  owes  you  thanks,"  Cowboy 
Jim  responded  heartily.  "  But  we  're  due  at 
Lone  Hill  ranch  to-night,  an'  can't  loiter  a  lot. 
Howsomever,  we  '11  keep  our  eyes  roamin'. 
I  'd  rather  run  into  a  million  rattlesnakes  than 
meet  Running  Bear  and  his  herd  of  bucks. 
So-long,"  and  Cowboy  Jim,  with  a  word  to- 
Sambo,  hurried  after  the  wagon,  which  had 
not  stopped  during  this  brief  colloquy. 

The  news  brought  by  the  cowboy  worried 
Cowboy  Jim  more  than  he  cared  to  show. 
Running  Bear  was  a  notorious  Apache  war- 
chief,  with  an  exceedingly  odious  reputation 
among  the  cattlemen  of  southern  Colorado, 
for  a  thieving,  cunning,  old  reprobate,  who 
hated  the  whites  worse  than  he  did  poison 
snakes.  Now,  if  he  was  at  the  head  of  fifty 
young  bucks,  and  running  wild,  it  meant  trou- 
ble, serious  trouble  for  any  lone  body  of  whites 
that  Running  Bear  chanced  to  come  upon. 
Cowboy  Jim  had  little  fear  of  meeting  Run- 
ning Bear  before  reaching  Abel  Johnson's 
ranch.  He  did  not  think  that  the  wily  chief 
would  venture  so  near  the  larger  settlements 


42  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

and  ranches ;  but,  in  those  days,  no  wise 
plainsman  ever  neglected  a  single  precaution 
when  "ugly"  Indians  were  near  because  he 
thought  they  would  not  come  his  way,  and 
Cowboy  Jim  was  wise  in  the  ways  of  the  plains. 
The  moment  he  came  up  with  the  wagon  he 
told  Red  Hank  and  Dutch  the  report  that  the 
cowboy  had  brought  in  ;  and  it  was  decided  that 
as  soon  as  the  dangerous  part  of  the  trail 
was  reached,  one  of  the  horsemen  should 
ride  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  so  ahead  of  the 
wagon  to  guard  against  sudden  surprise  and 
ambuscade. 

Dick  and  Harry  carried  their  rifles  with 
them.  The  guns  were  enclosed  in  strong 
leather  cases.  At  that  time  the  Winchester 
rifle  was  just  beginning  to  come  into  general 
use,  and  the  boys  had  bought  the  best  repeat- 
ing rifles  that  this  firm  could  make.  Even 
Bill  Burke  gloried  in  a  Winchester.  At  the 
mention  of  the  word  "  Indians,"  all  three  boys 
grabbed  their  gun-cases  and  began  unstrap- 
ping them.  In  three  minutes  they  had  their 
rifles  out  and  were  loading  them.  As  Bill 
Burke  shoved  the  cartridges  into  the  maga- 
zine, he  kept  his  eyes  rolling  in  every  direction 
over  the  wide  plain,  across  which  they  were 
now  passing,  as  if  he  expected  to  see  an  Indian 


A  Friendly  Warning  43 

pop  up  out  of  the  ground  almost  anywhere. 
Dick  and  Harry  had  told  him  of  their  expe- 
rience with  the  Indians  ;  and  the  negro  had 
declared  most  emphatically  :  "  Dis  chile  don't 
want  nuffin'  to  do  wid  dat  scan'lous  red  trash," 
and  had  vowed  to  shoot  his  own  head  off 
"  'fo'  he  'd  'low  one  ob  dem  undacious  villain- 
osities  to  steal  a  slice  ob  his  wool."  The  Mexi- 
can pulled  out  a  big  six-shooter  and  examined 
it  carefully  before  he  slipped  it  back  into  its 
holster. 

Cowboy  Jim  smiled  as  he  noted  these  prep- 
arations. "  I  calculate  Running  Bear  would 
steer  clear  of  this  outfit,"  he  remarked,  "  if 
he  knowed  th'  fitin'  blood  that 's  in  it.  Now — 
Hi,  there,  Black  !  Get  a  cinch  on  your  ex- 
citement !  Holy  smoke  !  " 

At  that  moment,  while  Bill  Burke's  mind 
was  filled  with  thoughts  of  wild  Indians,  a  huge 
jack-rabbit  jumped  out  of  a  bunch  of  grass 
not  six  feet  from  the  left  hind  wheel  of  the 
wagon  and  went  bounding  away  over  the  plain. 
The  negro,  with  a  yell,  leaped  to  his  feet,  his 
eyes  rolling  and  the  skin  on  his  face  working. 
The  broncos  heard  the  yell  and  gave  a  quick 
jump.  Bill  Burke  lost  his  balance,  stumbled 
against  the  box  of  fireworks,  and  went  head- 
first over  the  tail-end  of  the  wagon,  his  rifle 


44  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

flying  from  his  hands  and  falling  on  the 
ground  beside  him.  The  negro  struck  on  his 
head,  and,  therefore,  was  not  hurt  in  the  least. 
With  astonishing  quickness  he  jumped  to  his 
feet,  caught  up  his  rifle,  threw  it  to  his  shoulder, 
and  fired  at  the  fleeing  jack-rabbit. 

"  Golly,  dat  am  a  'sprisin'  quick  deer  !  "  he 
exclaimed,  shaking  his  head  and  staring  in  the 
•direction  of  the  streak  of  jack-rabbit  that  was 
vanishing  in  the  distance,  as  Cowboy  Jim  and 
Dutch  rode  up  a  moment  later. 

The  two  men  could  hardly  sit  their  saddles ; 
and  Cowboy  Jim  affirmed,  in  telling  the  story, 
that  even  the  broncos  were  smiling.  But 
after  the  negro  was  back  in  the  wagon  and 
again  sitting  on  the  box  of  fireworks,  Cowboy 
Jim  rode  up  by  his  side,  and  his  face  had 
no  smiles  on  it  when  he  spoke  : 

"  You  black  idiot,"  he  said,  "  if  you  fire  off 
your  gun  again  or  utter  a  sound  that  can  be 
heard  more  'n  a  couple  of  rods  away  without 
my  permission,  I  '11  take  your  gun  from  you, 
an'  chuck  a  gag  in  your  mouth,  an'  tie  you, 
hands  an'  feet,  to  that  box  of  fireworks.  Do 
you  want  to  notify  Running  Bear  that  a 
fool  nigger  is  comin'  his  way  ?  If  he  got  a 
hold  of  you  he  'd  skin  you  alive  an'  roast  you 
on  a  bed  of  hot  coals.  There  's  only  one 


A  Friendly  Warning  45 

thing  that  Running  Bear  hates  worse  than 
a  white  man,  an'  that  's  a  black  one.  This 
ain't  no  country  where  you  can  go  yellin'  an' 
firm'  off  guns  promiscus  like.  Sabe?"  and 
Cowboy  Jim  scowled  fiercely. 

"  Yes,  boss,"  responded  Bill  Burke,  meekly, 
the  wrinkles  on  his  face  and  his  eyes  rolling. 
"  I  's  done  gwine  to  sit  per'xactly  still.  'Deed 
I  is.  I  's  deaf  an'  dumb,  an'  speechless,"  and 
his  face  assumed  such  a  comical  look  of  over- 
whelming gravity  that  Cowboy  Jim  was  com- 
pelled to  dig  his  spurs  into  Sambo's  sides  in 
order  to  get  quickly  to  where  he  could  give 
vent  to  the  laugh  in  him  without  spoiling  the 
effect  of  his  words  on  the  negro. 

The  trail — there  was  no  well-defined  road — 
from  El  Moro  to  the  Lone  Hill  ranch,  ran 
across  plains  that  were  here  and  there  inter- 
cepted by  high  and  sometimes  almost  precipi- 
tous hills,  covered  with  trees  and  huge  rocks. 
Usually  a  ravine  afforded  a  passageway 
through  these  rocky  ramparts  to  the  plain 
beyond.  The  road,  while  crossing  the  level 
plains,  was  smooth,  and  the  broncos  could  be 
driven  over  it  at  a  rattling  pace  ;  but  the  bot- 
toms of  the  ravines  were  often  so  covered 
with  rocks  as  to  make  it  almost  impossible  to 
draw  a  wagon  over  them  faster  than  a  walk. 


46  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

There  were  three  of  these  rocky  passes  to  go 
through  before  Lone  Hill  ranch  was  reached. 
One  lay  about  five  miles  from  El  Moro,  the 
second  was  some  three  miles  farther,  and  the 
third  was  not  more  than  five  miles  from  Abel 
Johnson's  ranch.  The  first  of  these  passes 
did  not  trouble  the  cowboys.  They  knew 
it  was  too  close  to  El  Moro  for  Running  Bear 
and  his  warriors  to  venture  near  it.  Besides 
there  was  a  large  ranch-house  not  more  than 
half  a  mile  from  its  entrance,  and  cowboys 
were  continually  riding  through  and  near  it. 
The  second  pass  gave  them  more  concern. 
Its  situation  was  lonely  ;  there  was  almost  no 
travel  through  it ;  and  the  pass  itself  afforded 
ample  opportunities  to  conceal  any  number  of 
ambuscading  Indians.  But  it  was  the  third 
pass  that  gave  the  three  cowboys  the  greatest 
disquietude.  It  was  situated  within  a  couple 
of  hours'  ride  of  the  fastnesses  of  the  Culebra 
Mountains,  which  offered  the  Indians  an  al- 
most secure  haven,  and  would  render  their 
pursuit  extremely  difficult  and  perilous.  Again, 
this  pass  was  little  more  than  a  narrow  defile 
between  high  walls  of  rock,  making  an  al- 
most ideal  spot  for  an  Indian  ambuscade,  and 
was  seldom  used  by  any  one  except  the  cow- 
boys of  Abel  Johnson's  ranch.  Here  they 


A  Friendly  Warning  47 

would  be  absolutely  at  the  mercy  of  their 
cunning  foes,  and  the  Indians  would  have  am- 
ple time  to  escape  to  the  mountains  before 
a  sufficient  force  could  be  organized  to  under- 
take their  pursuit  and  punishment.  Of  course 
the  probabilities  were  that  Running  Bear  and 
his  band  were  not  within  twenty-five  miles 
of  either  one  of  these  passes ;  but  it  was  the 
part  of  wisdom,  since  they  had  had  warning, 
for  Cowboy  Jim  and  his  companions  to  be 
on  the  lookout,  and  to  consider  where  the 
danger  would  be  greatest,  and  to  plan  how 
best  to  meet  it. 

When  the  first  ravine  had  been  passed 
through,  Cowboy  Jim  galloped  on  ahead  of 
the  wagon,  for  now  it  was  thought  best  to 
keep  a  scout  out  in  advance.  The  plains  were 
not  absolutely  level,  but  rolling ;  and  each 
gentle  undulation  was  sufficiently  high  to  con- 
ceal all  that  might  lie  between  it  and  the  next 
plain-wave  from  the  advancing  cowboys. 

Red  Hank  kept  the  broncos  going  at  their 
best  speed,  and  so  rapidly  did  these  tough 
little  animals  travel  that  it  was  but  little  after 
four  o'clock  when  they  came  within  sight  of 
Second  Pass.  As  they  approached  the  en- 
trance, Red  Hank  pulled  the  broncos  down  to 
a  slow  trot.  Suddenly,  Cowboy  Jim,  who  had 


48  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

almost  reached  the  pass,  whirled  his  bronco 
around,  and  came  galloping  back  toward  the 
wagon  at  full  speed. 

Red  Hank  brought  the  broncos  to  a  halt 
with  a  yank,  and  grabbed  his  rifle.  Dick's 
and  Harry's  hearts  jumped  almost  up  into 
their  throats,  and  both  boys  sprang  to  their 
feet,  and  stared  at  the  entrance  to  the  pass, 
now  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  expecting 
every  moment  to  see  Running  Bear  and  his 
Indians  burst  into  sight.  Bill  Burke  sat  still 
on  the  box  of  fireworks ;  he  did  not  dare  to 
move,  but  the  way  he  fingered  his  rifle  and 
the  way  the  wrinkles  jumped  all  over  his  face 
showed  that  he  had  caught  fully  his  share  of 
the  excitement.  Dutch  galloped  forward  to 
meet  Cowboy  Jim. 

"  There  they  come  ! "  Dick  yelled,  as  a  dozen 
horsemen  came  galloping  out  of  the  ravine. 
"  Shall  we  shoot  ? "  and,  in  his  excitement, 
Dick  threw  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder. 

"  Great  guns,  no  !  Them  's  cowboys  !  "  Red 
Hank  exclaimed,  in  disgust ;  and,  whipping 
up  his  broncos,  he  again  hurried  forward. 

The  horsemen  proved  to  be  a  dozen  cow- 
boys from  a  ranch  the  other  side  of  Second 
Pass,  due  for  a  lark  at  El  Moro  that  night. 
Cowboy  Jim  had  heard  the  beat  of  their 


A  Friendly  Warning  49 

horses'  hoofs,  as  they  galloped  over  the  rocks, 
and  had  hurried  back  to  the  wagon  to  give 
warning  that  horsemen,  whether  Indians  or 
not  he  could  not  tell,  were  coming. 

The  cowboys  pulled  up  their  broncos,  when 
the  wagon  was  reached,  to  exchange  greetings. 

"  Seen  anything  of  Running  Bear  an'  his 
Indians?"  Cowboy  Jim  asked.  "He  's  re- 
ported on  the  rampage  an'  roamin'  promiscus 
somewhere  this  side  of  th'  Culebras." 

"  Nary  a  hair,"  answered  one  of  the  cow- 
boys. "  But  I  guess  th'  old  heathen  has  broke 
hobbles,  'cause  that  same  report  hit  our  ranch 
this  mornin'.  But  we  're  not  worryin  a  whole 
lot  over  a  band  of  measly  redskins.  Whoop  ! 
On  for  El  Moro,  boys  ! "  and,  with  yells  of 
farewell,  the  cowboys  shook  loose  the  reins  of 
their  horses  and  galloped  off. 

"  Well,  I  anticipate  there  's  no  trouble  lurkin' 
in  that  ravine,  or  them  cowboys  would  have 
routed  it  out,"  Red  Hank  remarked,  as  he 
started  up  the  broncos. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THIRD     PASS 

TH  E  plain  beyond  Second  Pass  was  rougher, 
and  Red  Hank  was  obliged  to  drive 
the  broncos  at  a  much  slower  gait  than  here- 
tofore. Cowboy  Jim  now  kept  a  full  half 
mile  in  advance,  and  midway  between  him 
and  the  wagon  rode  Dutch.  Cowboy  Jim  was 
always  in  sight  of  Dutch,  and  Dutch  was  al- 
ways in  sight  of  the  wagon.  In  this  way  they 
crossed  the  great  plain,  some  twelve  miles  in 
extent,  lying  between  Second  and  Third  Pass. 
There  was  a  small  hill  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  the  entrance  to  Third  Pass ; 
and  on  top  of  this  hill  lay  a  number  of  huge 
rocks,  that  would  make  an  effective  rampart. 
When  this  hill  was  reached,  the  wagon  was 
driven  to  its  top  and  halted  behind  the  rocks. 
If  Running  Bear  and  his  Indians  were  hiding 
within  Third  Pass,  it  was  the  purpose  of  Cow- 
boy Jim  to  hunt  him  out,  and  then  retreat  to 
this  hill,  whose  rocky  ramparts,  defended  by 


Third  Pass  51 

the  six  rifles,  he  was  confident,  would  keep 
the  Indians  at  a  safe  distance  until  help 
arrived. 

Cowboy  Jim  and  Dutch  had  both  halted  on 
the  top  of  the  hill,  to  await  the  coming  of  the 
wagon.  When  all  had  been  made  ready  on 
the  little  hill-fort,  Cowboy  Jim  rode  quietly 
away  in  the  direction  of  Third  Pass.  Some 
twenty  rods  behind  him  rode  Dutch.  Both 
men  knew  that  they  were  venturing  their 
lives  when  they  entered  the  pass.  If  Running 
Bear  and  his  Indians  were  there  they  would 
endeavour  to  capture  or  kill  the  two  cowboys 
before  they  would  permit  them  to  give  warn- 
ing or  assistance  to  the  men  at  the  wagon. 
No  one  knew  this  better  than  did  Cowboy 
Jim  and  Dutch  ;  yet  neither  man  appeared  to 
show  the  least  concern  for  himself  as  he  rode 
away.  True,  they  examined  their  rifles  and 
revolvers  and  saddles  very  carefully  before 
going;  but  they  were  joking  with  Red  Hank 
and  the  boys  while  doing  this,  and  there  was 
a  smile  on  the  face  of  each  as  he  galloped  off. 

Dick  and  Harry,  however,  had  no  such  con- 
trol over  their  feelings.  Their  hearts  beat 
rapidly,  and  the  hands  that  held  their  rifles 
trembled  just  a  little  as  they  saw  the  two  men 
ride  into  Third  Pass.  They  did  not  speak, 


52  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

they  hardly  ventured  to  breathe,  so  intently 
were  they  listening  for  the  crack  of  the  rifle, 
or  the  fierce  war-whoop,  that  would  tell  them 
that  their  worst  fears  were  realized.  Five — 
ten — fifteen — twenty  minutes  passed  in  abso- 
lute silence.  The  suspense  was  becoming 
almost  unbearable.  Had  Cowboy  Jim  and 
Dutch  both  been  captured  by  the  Indians? 
If  not,  why  did  they  not  reappear?  They 
had  had  time  to  go  through  the  ravine  half  a 
dozen  times. 

Suddenly  a  man  on  horseback  dashed  out 
of  the  ravine,  pulled  up  his  bronco  with  a 
jerk,  caught  off  his  sombrero,  and,  with  a  yell, 
waved  it  around  his  head.  It  was  Dutch,  and 
he  was  giving  them  the  signal  agreed  upon  to 
tell  them  that  the  pass  was  safe. 

With  an  answering  shout  the  boys  jumped 
into  the  wagon,  Red  Hank  caught  up  the 
lines,  and  the  next  moment  the  broncos  were 
racing  down  the  rocky  hillside  at  a  rate  of 
speed  that  threatened  every  instant  to  dump 
men  and  boys  out  on  the  ground.  All  were 
jubilant.  It  now  seemed  as  if  there  could  be 
no  more  danger  of  meeting  Running  Bear  and 
his  warriors ;  and  they  were  within  five  miles 
of  Abel  Johnson's  ranch  !  In  a  short  time  they 
would  be  there,  would  see  Abel  Johnson  and 


Third   Pass  53 

Loretta — Loretta!  how  the  hearts  of  both  boys 
beat  at  the  thought  of  meeting  her ! 

As  the  wagon  came  safely  out  of  Third 
Pass,  Cowboy  Jim  rode  up.  His  face  was 
covered  with  smiles.  "  Well,  boys,  here  we 
are  safe  and  sound  through  Third  Pass,  an' 
not  a  sign  of  Running  Bear  yet,"  he  said  ; 
"  an'  I  don't  anticipate  seein'  him  none  this 
trip  now,  for  which  I  ain't  a  lot  sorry.  In  an 
hour  more  we'll  be  at  Lone  Hill  ranch ;  an'  I 
know  a  pair  of  dark  eyes  that  '11  be  mighty 
glad  to  see  two  handsome-lookin'  young  fel- 
lows that  I  know.  Well,  I  was  young  once, 
and  Loretta — Ho,  there,  Red  Hank,  spur  up 
those  bags  of  lazy  bones,  or  them  boys  will 
be  gettin'  out  an'  runnin'  on  ahead  ! "  and  with 
a  loud  laugh,  Cowboy  Jim  dug  his  spurs  into 
Sambo's  sides  and  galloped  off  in  advance  of 
the  wagon. 

Red  Hank  whipped  up  his  broncos,  and  the 
wagon  rattled  at  a  lively  rate  over  the  loose 
stones  that  here  and  there  lay  scattered  over 
the  wagon  trail. 

Dick  and  Harry  were  silent.  Both  were 
thinking  of  Loretta,  wondering  if  she  had 
changed  much,  if  she  would  be  really  glad  to 
see  them,  if — when,  with  a  suddenness  that 
almost  threw  them  forward  off  their  seats,  Red 


54  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Hank  yanked  up  the  broncos,  gripped  the 
lines  in  his  left  hand,  and  grabbed  up  his  rifle 
with  his  right.  At  the  same  instant  Cowboy 
Jim,  who  was  riding  some  twenty  rods  ahead, 
whirled  Sambo  around,  and  dashed  back,  dig- 
ging his  spurs  unmercifully  into  the  black's 
sides.  Then  the  boys  saw  what  had  caused 
these  startling  movements. 

Over  the  brow  of  a  hill,  less  than  half  a 
mile  ahead  and  about  the  same  distance  to 
their  right,  came  a  band  of  Indians,  their 
ponies  on  a  gallop.  The  instant  the  Indians 
saw  the  whites  they  yanked  up  their  ponies 
with  the  same  suddenness  that  Red  Hank 
had  halted  the  broncos.  Evidently  the  sur- 
prise was  mutual.  For  a  minute  or  more  the 
Indians  sat  on  their  horses  like  bronze  statues, 
staring  at  the  little  band  of  whites ;  then  the 
warriors  gathered  around  their  chief,  to  take 
counsel  as  to  what  should  now  be  done.  The 
decision  came  quickly.  The  warriors  re- 
mained, sitting  on  their  ponies  where  they 
were  ;  and  the  chief,  holding  his  empty  right 
hand  up  to  signify  that  his  mission  was  peace- 
ful, rode  slowly  toward  the  whites. 

By  this  time  Cowboy  Jim  had  reached  the 
wagon.  His  eyes  swiftly  swept  the  surround- 
ing plain.  There  was  not  a  rock,  nor  a  tree, 


Third   Pass  55 

nor  a  shrub,  behind  which  they  could  fight,  if 
they  had  to  fight,  within  reach.  It  would  be 
folly  to  attempt  to  escape  by  running  away. 
The  Indians  would  overtake  them  before  they 
had  gone  a  mile.  All  these  things  Cowboy 
Jim  noted,  and  quickly  determined  that  the 
Indians  must  be  faced  right  where  they  were. 
"  Get  out  of  th'  wagon,  every  mother's  son 
of  you,"  he  commanded.  "  Unhitch  th'  bron- 
cos an'  tie  them  to  th'  wheels,  an'  if  it  comes 
to  a  scrap  use  th'  wagon  as  a  breastwork.  Now, 
boys,  keep  cool.  It  's  only  fifty  to  seven,  an* 
that  's  nothin'  when  it  's  cowboys  an'  Injuns. 
We  Ve  got  to  face  them  right  here,  an'  let  's 
do  it  as  if  we  were  sure  we  could  lick  th'  whole 
caboodle  with  one  hand  roped  behind  our 
backs.  That  's  th'  way  to  proper  impress  an 
Indian.  Well,  I  wonder  what  that  old  repro- 
bate wants  ?  I  '11  ride  out  to  meet  him  an'  find 
out,  but  I  don't  count  a  lot  on  the  peacefulness 
of  his  mission.  Keep  th'  old  villain  covered 
with  your  rifle,  Red  Hank,"  and  Cowboy  Jim 
rode  slowly  forward  to  meet  the  advancing 
Indian  chief. 


CHAPTER    VII 

THE    SURRENDER 

COWBOY  JIM  and  Running  Bear,  the  In- 
^— -*  dian  chief,  met  on  the  summit  of  a  little 
knoll,  about  half-way  between  the  Indians  and 
the  wagon.  During  the  conference  that  fol- 
lowed between  these  two  the  Indian  warriors 
on  the  hill  sat,  stolid  and  silent,  on  their 
ponies,  their  eyes  fixed  on  their  chief,  patiently 
awaiting  his  return. 

Dick  and  Harry  and  their  companions  were 
not  as  patient.  The  result  of  that  meeting 
meant  too  much  to  them  for  any  such  show 
of  indifference.  Their  lives  were  at  stake  ; 
for  even  the  boys  were  wise  enough  to  know 
that  they  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  Indians, 
notwithstanding  the  hopefully  defiant  words  of 
Cowboy  Jim.  On  the  open  plain,  with  prac- 
tically no  protection,  what  could  four  men  and 
three  boys,  however  brave,  do  against  fifty 
well-armed  Indians,  led  by  a  cunning  and  ex- 
perienced chief  ?  They  could  die,  fighting  as 


The  Surrender  57 

bravely  as  possible,  and  they  could  not  even 
hope  to  do  more.  When  it  became  dark, 
which  would  be  within  a  couple  of  hours,  for 
the  sun  was  already  nearing  the  heads  of  the 
high  western  mountains,  the  Indians  could 
creep  up  to  within  a  few  rods  of  where  they 
lay,  and,  by  a  sudden  rush,  capture  or  kill 
them  all.  Plainly  their  only  hope  was  in  the 
result  of  the  conference  between  Cowboy  Jim 
and  Running  Bear ;  and  never  once  did  the 
anxious  cowboys  and  the  lads  take  their  eyes 
off  the  two  figures  on  the  little  knoll. 

"  Look ! "  and  Dick  nudged  Harry,  who 
stood  by  his  side,  "  the  chief  is  getting  mad. 
He  sits  up  in  his  saddle  as  if  somebody  had 
suddenly  thrust  a  cold  poker  down  his  back. 
Why,  he  must  be  giving  Cowboy  Jim  a  regu- 
lar Fourth  of  July  oration !  See  how  he 
swings  those  long  arms  of  his  ! " 

"  Massah  Dick,"  interrupted  the  negro,  the 
wrinkles  on  his  face  betokening  the  greatest 
consternation  and  excitement,  "  Massah  Dick, 
am  dem  rascallians  Indians  ?  an'  am  dey  gwine 
to  scalp  an'  eat  us  ? "  Bill  Burke  had  never 
seen  an  Indian  before,  and  the  boys  had  filled 
him  full  of  harrowing  tales  of  their  blood- 
thirstiness  and  cruelty. 

"They   are    Indians,   sure  enough,"    Dick 


58  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

responded,  "  but  they  '11  have  to  catch  their 
rabbit  before  they  cook  it.  Come,  brace  up, 
Bill  Burke ;  and,  if  it  comes  to  a  fight,  get  in 
some  of  your  head-work,  and  we  '11  teach  these 
lords  of  the  plains  a  thing  or  two." 

Bill  Burke  shook  his  woolly  pate  savagely. 
"  I  's  done  gwine  to,"  he  said.  "  I  's  done 
gwine  to  knock  de  pit  of  de  stomach  right  out 
ob  the  firs'  one  ob  dem  dat  comes  triflin'  round 
dis  niggah.  I  's  done  gwine  to  stand  no  foolin' 
from  no  such  low  down  rascallians.  I  'se — ' 

"  Dry  up,"  said  Red  Hank,  shortly.  "  Here 
comes  Cowboy  Jim,  an'  we  '11  soon  know 
whether  or  not  we  're  going  to  keep  our  scalps 
on  our  own  heads.  He  looks  considerably 
roiled,  so  I  fancy  't  ain't  no  picnic  news  that 
he  is  bringin'  us." 

As  he  spoke  Cowboy  Jim  and  the  Indian 
chief  separated,  the  chief  riding  slowly  back 
to  his  warriors,  without  deigning  to  give 
even  a  backward  glance  in  the  direction  of 
the  whites,  and  the  cowboy  galloping  "ugly" 
straight  for  the  wagon. 

"Th'  infernal  old  thief!"  Cowboy  Jim  ex- 
claimed, savagely,  the  moment  he  pulled  up 
Sambo.  "  Th'  thievin'  old  red-skinned  scoun- 
drel!" Evidently  Cowboy  Jim's  temper  was 
bucking.  "  I  'd  give  seven  years  of  my  life  to 


The  Surrender  59 

have  my  rope  around  his  gullet,  an'  there'd  be 
no  need  of  a  snubbin'-post  to  throw  him  neither. 
Now,  what  do  you  think  th'  thievin'  old  vaga- 
bond wants  this  outfit  to  do  ? "  and  he  glared 
savagely  at  Red  Hank. 

"  Well,  judgin'  from  th'  way  your  temper  is 
a  buckin',''  responded  that  worthy,  slowly, 
"  he  's  insisted  on  our  skinnin'  ourselves,  an' 
then  jumpin'  into  th'  pot." 

"  Th'  old  villain,"  continued  Cowboy  Jim, 
"  says  that  his  braves  are  short  on  hosses,  an' 
he  wants  ours,  bridles,  saddles,  an'  all.  He 
says  that  his  braves  need  rifles  an'  cartridges, 
an'  he  '11  be  much  obliged  if  we  '11  give  him 
ours.  He  says  that  he  an'  his  braves  are  just 
a  hankerin'  for  our  company,  an'  he  wants  us 
to  take  a  little  trip  into  th'  mountains  with 
him,  an'  spend  th'  night  with  his  braves  around 
th'  camp-fire,  a-smokin'  th'  pipe  of  peace,  an' 
that  in  th'  mornin'  we  can  set  out  for  th'  ranch, 
afoot,  thankful  that  we  Ve  got  our  skins  on 
our  backs.  Now,  what  do  you  think  of  that  ?" 
and  Cowboy  Jim  looked  from  Red  Hank  to 
Dutch  and  from  Dutch  back  to  Red  Hank 
again. 

"Well,  I  anticipate  there  '11  be  a  lot  of  In- 
dian bucks  lookin'  for  jobs  in  th'  Happy  Hun- 
tin'  Grounds  afore  we  agrees  to  that,"  Red 


60  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Hank  rejoined,  his  jaws  coming  together  with 
a  snap. 

For  a  minute  or  more  Cowboy  Jim  stared 
around  in  every  direction.  Then  he  swore, 
loud  and  long  and  picturesquely,  according  to 
his  gifts  ;  and  then  he  made  some  hot  remarks 
about  Indians  in  general  and  Running  Bear  in 
particular,  and  threw  in  several  warm  sugges- 
tions as  to  the  proper  dwelling-place  for  I  ndians. 
This  done,  he  appeared  to  feel  more  comfort- 
able and  satisfied  with  himself,  and  began  to 
talk  United  States. 

"  Boys,"  he  said,  "  that  old  thief  has  got  us 
in  a  hole,  an'  he  knows  we  can't  crawl  out. 
See  that  high  pile  of  rocks  within  easy  rifle 
range  of  us  an'  considerable  nearer  to  th'  In- 
dians. Well,  th'  old  thief  vows  if  we  don't 
accept  his  propositions  before  the  rim  of  the 
sun  touches  th'  peaks  of  th'  western  mountains, 
his  braves  will  occupy  them  high  rocks  an' 
begin  shootin'  us,  an'  any  fool  can  see  what  that 
would  mean.  In  ten  minutes  there  would  n't 
be  one  of  us  alive.  If  we  attempt  to  run, 
he  '11  charge  us,  which  means  we  would  be  at 
the  mercy  of  his  enraged  bucks  within  half  an 
hour,  an'  that  every  mother's  son  of  us  would 
lose  his  scalp.  On  th'  other  hand,  if  we  '11 
surrender,  an'  accept  his  hospitality  for  th' 


The  Surrender  61 

night,  he  vows,  by  all  that  an  Indian  holds 
most  sacred,  that  not  a  hair  of  our  heads  shall 
be  harmed,  an'  that  we  shall  be  free  to  go 
where  we  will  at  sunrise  th'  next  mornin'.  He 
agrees  to  let  us  keep  our  revolvers  and  knives, 
as  a  sort  of  guaranty  that  he  won't  break 
faith,  an'  because  I  swore  that  we  would  fight 
him  as  long  as  we  had  a  finger  left  to  pull  a 
trigger  before  we  'd  give  up  all  our  weapons 
and  trust  ourselves  to  his  honor.  He  says 
that  all  he  'an'  his  braves  wants  is  our  guns 
an'  hosses,  that  he  don't  want  to  shed  no 
white  blood,  'cause  that  would  mean  war 
with  th'  U.  S.  ;  but  he  's  bound  to  have  our 
hosses  an'  guns,  war  or  no  war,  blood  or  no 
blood.  That 's  the  proposition,  boys,  an'  we  're 
up  against  it  good  an'  hard.  Has  any  one 
got  anything  to  say  against  our  acceptin'  it  ? 
'Cause,  if  he  has,  he  's  got  to  speak  quick,  for 
old  Sol  is  within  an  inch  of  the  top  of  that 
mountain  peak." 

A  glance  toward  the  sun  verified  Cowboy 
Jim's  words,  while,  at  the  same  time,  a  move- 
ment amongst  the  Indians  gave  them  signifi- 
cant emphasis.  The  warriors  headed  their 
horses  toward  the  rocks,  and  Running  Bear 
reined  up  his  steed  in  front  of  the  band,  and 
fixed  his  eyes  on  the  sinking  disk  of  the  sun. 


62  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Dutch  looked  helplessly  around,  and,  seeing 
nothing  that  offered  even  a  promise  of  shelter 
or  safety,  swore  volubly  in  German. 

Red  Hank  stared  for  a  moment  blankly  at 
Cowboy  Jim,  laid  down  his  rifle,  and  shut  his 
mouth  tight.  He  could  find  no  words  in  the 
English  language  vivid  enough  to  express  his 
feelings. 

Dick's  and  Harry's  faces  grew  white.  The 
thought  of  being  captive  to  the  Indians  was 
inexpressibly  terrible  to  them.  Then,  in  the 
wagon  were  two  trunks,  filled  with  their  per- 
sonal belongings,  together  with  various  pres- 
ents they  had  brought  the  cowboys  and  Loretta, 
and  to  have  the  Indians  get  these  seemed  to 
Dick  and  Harry  an  almost  unbearable  calamity. 

Bill  Burke  reached  down  to  the  bottom  of 
the  wagon-box  and  gripped  the  satchel  con- 
taining his  private  property.  In  an  instant  he 
had  it  open  and  was  stuffing  its  contents  into 
his  pockets,  under  his  vest,  and  down  his  trou- 
sers' waist,  muttering,  "  Dis  niggah  fool  dem 
red  rascallians."  In  two  minutes  the  satchel 
was  empty,  and  Bill  Burke  was  full,  very  full, 
judging  from  the  appearance  of  his  clothes. 

Black  Juan,  the  Mexican,  scowled,  and, 
muttering  a  few  hasty  words  in  Spanish,  he 
jumped  up  and  looked  quickly  around,  as  if 


The  Surrender  63 

seeking  some  way  of  escape  ;  but  almost  im- 
mediately sat  down  again,  and  stared  sullenly 
at  the  Indians. 

Cowboy  Jim  slowly  drew  his  revolver. 
"  There 's  nothing  else  to  be  done,  boys,"  he 
said.  "  Now,  keep  close  together,  an'  at  the 
first  sign  of  treachery  draw  your  guns  an'  fight 
as  long  as  there  is  a  drop  of  live  blood  in 
you.  It's  time  to  give  th'  signal."  He  lifted 
the  revolver  above  his  head,  and  fired  three 
shots  in  rapid  succession  straight  up  in  the  air. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

"  HEAP    BIG    BLACK    MEDICINE  " 

A  MOMENT'S  silence  followed  the  last 
sharp  bark  of  the  six-shooter  ;  and  then, 
with  wild  yells  of  exultation  and  galloping 
their  horses  at  full  speed,  Running  Bear  and 
his  warriors  swooped  down  upon  the  little  band 
of  whites.  It  was  a  fearful  sight,  one  to  stir 
the  blood  and  whiten  the  cheek,  to  see  these 
Indians,  flourishing  their  weapons  and  yelling 
their  war-cries,  charging,  with  all  the  ferocity 
of  actual  battle,  straight  toward  the  waiting 
white  men. 

"What  if  the  chief's  talk  with  Cowboy  Jim 
was  but  a  ruse  to  secure  our  capture  with  little 
peril  to  themselves?"  Harry,  with  whitening 
cheeks,  whispered  to  Dick,  his  eyes  fixed  on 
the  on-coming  Indians. 

"Keep  cool,  and  watch  Cowboy  Jim,"  was 
Dick's  only  response. 

Running  Bear  rode  a  little  in  advance  of  his 
warriors.  When  within  a  rod  of  the  wagon 


"  Heap  Big  Black  Medicine  "          65 

he  suddenly  reined  up  his  pony,  and  the  stream 
of  warriors,  dividing,  swept  completely  around 
Cowboy  Jim  and  his  companions.  The  mo- 
ment the  circle  was  completed  every  Indian 
halted  his  pony  and,  facing  inward  toward  the 
wagon,  sat  like  bronze  statues  on  their  horses' 
backs. 

"  Take  horses,"  and,  with  a  swift  gesture, 
Running  Bear  gave  a  command  in  the  Indian 
language. 

Immediately  eight  Indians  leaped  from  their 
ponies  and  advanced  to  seize  the  four  horses 
of  the  cowboys. 

For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  Cowboy  Jim 
would  resist,  as  the  Indians  approached  to 
seize  Sambo.  His  face  went  white,  his  eyes 
glinted  ominously,  and  his  fingers  tightened 
around  his  rifle  ;  then,  with  a  gesture  of  hope- 
less wrath,  he  flung  himself  out  of  his  saddle 
and  surrendered  the  horse. 

The  eight  Indians  led  away  the  four  horses. 

"Take  rifles,"  and  with  another  gesture, 
Running  Bear  uttered  another  command. 

Instantly  fourteen  Indians  jumped  off  their 
ponies'  backs,  and  advanced  to  receive  the 
rifles,  two  to  each  white  man. 

"  Hand  over  your  rifles  an'  cartridge-belts, 
boys,"  Cowboy  Jim  said,  in  a  low  voice  ;  "  but 


66  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

don't  let  an  Indian  lay  a  finger  on  you.  If 
one  attempts  to,  shoot  him  dead.  I  've  got 
my  eye  on  the  chief ;  an'  he  '11  be  dead  as  soon 
as  a  ball  can  reach  him,  if  this  means  treachery." 

Two  Indians  approached  each  man  ;  one 
took  his  rifle,  and  the  other  his  cartridge-belt. 
This  was  done  very  quietly,  and  without  the 
least  trouble,  until  it  came  to  the  two  bucks 
who  were  to  relieve  Bill  Burke  of  his  weapon. 
Doubtless  they  had  never  seen  a  negro  be- 
fore ;  and  the  strange  black  countenance,  with 
its  wildly  rolling  eyes,  caused  them  to  move 
very  slowly  toward  him,  half  afraid  to  come 
within  hand-reach  of  his  rifle. 

As  the  Indians  approached  him  Bill  Burke 
backed  away.  "  Don't  yo'  dare  lay  a  finger 
on  dis  niggah's  ha'r,  yo'  triflin'  low  down  red 
trash,"  he  warned.  "I  '11  teach  yo'  to  be 
'specful,  'deed  I  will.  Stay  right  whar  you 
is."  Bill  Burke  was  beginning  to  get  excited. 
The  wrinkles  were  jumping  all  over  his  face, 
his  eyes  were  rolling,  and  he  was  shaking  his 
head  like  an  angry  ram.  "  I's  don't  want 
nuffin  to  do  wid  yo',  yo'  scan'lous  naked  mens. 
Yo'  keep  away  from  dis  har  niggah.  I's  done 
warn  yo'.  Stop  right  whar  yo'  is." 

But  the  Indians  continued  to  come  on, 
slowly  and  warily. 


"  Heap  Big  Black  Medicine  "          67 

Suddenly  Bill  Burke's  head  went  down,  he 
dropped  his  rifle,  and  his  hands  flew  up  under 
his  chin  ;  and  then  there  was  a  black  streak 
through  the  air,  and  Bill  Burke's  head  struck 
the  naked  stomach  of  one  of  the  Indians  with 
a  thud  that  could  have  been  heard  for  half 
a  mile.  The  Indian  was  fairly  lifted  off  his 
feet,  and,  with  a  grunt  that  did  the  hearts 
of  Dick  and  Harry  good  to  hear,  landed, 
breathless,  on  his  back  a  half  a  rod  away. 
Before  the  other  Indian  had  time  to  recover 
from  his  astonishment,  Bill  Burke's  head  went 
down  again,  and  the  next  instant  he  was 
sprawling  on  his  back  and  gasping  for  breath 
by  the  side  of  his  companion.  But  this  last 
butt  had  been  too  much  for  Bill  Burke's  vest 
and  trousers  ;  and,  as  his  head  struck  the  sec- 
ond Indian,  the  buttons  flew  off,  and  the  con- 
tents of  his  satchel  poured  out  on  the  ground 
before  the  astonished  eyes  of  the  dumfounded 
Indians.  By  this  time  the  first  Indian  had  re- 
covered a  sufficient  amount  of  breath  to  jump 
to  his  feet.  For  a  moment  his  wrath  over- 
came his  fear  of  the  negro,  and,  swinging  his 
tomahawk  above  his  head,  he  leaped  at  Bill 
Burke,  who  stood  stupidly  shaking  his  head 
and  rolling  his  eyes,  glaring  from  the  fallen 
Indian  to  his  scattered  personal  belongings. 


68  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Down  came  the  tomahawk  ;  but,  fortunately, 
just  before  it  hit  the  negro's  head  the  weapon 
turned  so  that  the  steel  blade  struck  Bill 
Burke's  head  flatways.  With  a  crack  that 
was  heard  by  every  Indian  present  the  handle 
snapped  in  two,  and  the  axe  head  fell  to  the 
ground. 

Bill  Burke  shook  his  woolly  head  angrily  ; 
and,  exclaiming :  "  I  's  done  gwine  to  knock 
the  pit  ob  yo'r  stomach  clean  through  yo'r 
back  dis  time,"  his  head  went  down. 

But  the  terrified  Indian  did  not  wait  for  the 
charge.  He  gave  one  glance  at  the  broken 
tomahawk  handle,  which  he  still  gripped  in 
his  right  hand,  another  at  the  negro's  un- 
harmed head — he  evidently  did  not  know  that 
the  tomahawk  had  turned,  and  had  no  knowl- 
edge of  the  hardness  of  a  negro's  skull — and 
with  an  "  ugh  ! "  expressive  of  the  utmost  con- 
sternation, he  whirled  around  and  fled,  Bill 
Burke  charging  after  him  like  a  great  black  ram. 

For  a  moment  it  looked  as  if  the  negro 
would  put  the  whole  fifty  Indians  to  flight. 
Men  and  horses  got  out  of  his  way  as  if  he  was  a 
wild  locomotive ;  and  the  Indian  he  was  after, 
breaking  through  the  circle  of  surrounding 
warriors,  flew  across  the  plains  as  if  the  evil 
one  and  all  his  imps  were  chasing  him. 


"  Heap  Big  Black  Medicine"  69 

But  Bill  Burke  did  not  charge  far.  The 
thought  of  his  possessions,  scattered  over  the 
ground  and  unguarded,  brought  him  to  a  sud- 
den halt ;  and,  turning,  he  hurried  back,  shak- 
ing his  head  and  rolling  his  eyes  and  wrinkling 
his  face. 

Not  an  Indian  offered  to  molest  him,  but 
gave  him  free  passageway  through  their  ranks, 
eyeing  him  with  wonder,  not  unmixed  with 
fear,  and  murmuring  among  themselves : 
"  Heap  big  black  medicine  "  ;  and  thereafter 
not  one  of  them,  if  he  could  possibly  avoid  it, 
would  approach  to  within  six  feet  of  Bill 
Burke. 

Cowboy  Jim  at  once  hastened  to  take 
possession  of  the  negro  before  he  caused 
further  trouble. 

"  I 's  done  told  yo'  I  larn  dem  red  rascallians 
to  be  'specful  to  dis  niggah,"  he  said,  as  the 
cowboy  seized  him  by  the  arm  and  pulled 
him  to  a  place  of  safety  between  himself  and 
Red  Hank. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  Indians  recovered  their 
accustomed  immobility  of  manner ;  and  Run- 
ning Bear,  who  had  sat  like  a  graven  image 
during  the  commotion,  began  giving  his  or- 
ders. There  was  no  time  to  waste.  If  they 
escaped  with  their  prey,  they  must  get  to  the 


70  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

fastnesses  of  the  mountains  without  delay. 
Roaming  cowboys  might  come  upon  them  at 
any  moment  where  they  were,  and  give  the 
alarm  ;  but,  once  in  the  mountains  with  their 
plunder,  they  could  defy  pursuit. 

The  two  broncos  were  again  quickly  hitched 
to  the  wagon.  Red  Hank  was  given  the  lines, 
and  the  boys  and  Bill  Burke  and  the  Mexican 
were  ordered  to  get  into  the  wagon.  Much  to- 
the  satisfaction  of  Cowboy  Jim  and  Dutch,  they 
were  given  their  own  horses  to  ride.  The  In- 
dians had  no  spare  horses  and  were  in  too 
much  of  a  hurry  to  delay  the  wagon  by  over- 
loading it.  Cowboy  Jim  and  Dutch  rode 
close  to  the  wagon,  one  on  each  side.  When 
all  was  ready  Running  Bear  placed  himself 
at  the  head  of  his  warriors,  and  the  command 


to  start  was  given. 


The  pace  set  was  a. rapid  one.  The  Indians 
rode  their  ponies  at  full  speed,  wherever  the 
ground  would  permit,  and  lashed  the  broncos 
unmercifully  in  order  to  compel  them  to  keep 
up  with  the  wagon.  They  headed  straight 
for  the  mountains ;  and  in  less  than  an  hour 
the  wagon  was  banging  over  the  rocks  on  the 
bottom  of  a  narrow  canyon  that  gave  entrance 
to  the  fastnesses  of  the  Culebra  Mountains. 
For  half  an  hour  longer,  until  it  became  so 


"Heap  Big  Black  Medicine"  71 

dark  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  see  to 
guide  their  horses,  the  Indians  hurried  on. 
Then  they  entered  a  narrow  defile  branching 
off  from  the  canyon,  which  presently  widened 
out  into  a  little,  rock-bound  valley,  with  a  small 
stream  of  water  running  through  it.  Here 
the  Indians  halted.  They  had  reached  their 
camping  ground  for  the  night. 

The  horses  were  unhitched  from  the  wagon, 
Cowboy  Jim  and  Dutch  were  ordered  to  dis- 
mount and  climb  into  the  wagon,  and  the  four 
horses  were  led  a  little  distance  away  and 
picketed.  Running  Bear  now  detailed  a  num- 
ber of  Indians  to  stand  guard  around  the 
prisoners ;  and  the  rest,  when  their  ponies  had 
been  picketed,  were  set  at  work  gathering 
wood  for  a  great  camp-fire. 


CHAPTER   IX 

AN    UNEXPECTED    DISPLAY    OF    FIREWORKS 

"  \  \  /"ELL,  so  far  we  Ve  nothin'  to  complain 
VV  of  our  treatment,"  Cowboy  Jim  re- 
marked, as  he  climbed  into  the  wagon  and 
seated  himself  on  the  box  of  fireworks,  "an' 
my  scalp  is  beginnin'  to  feel  sort  of  comfort- 
able again  ;  but  't  won't  do  to  get  too  con- 
fident. We  must  keep  close  together,  an'  not 
one  of  us  must  shut  his  eyes  in  sleep  to-night. 
If  the  Indians  mean  treachery  they  '11  try 
to  get  at  us  while  we  're  asleep,  and  so  we 
must  all  keep  awake  an'  our  revolvers  loose 
in  their  holsters.  But  I  anticipate  Running 
Bear  don't  want  no  run  in  with  th'  U.  S.,  an' 
will  be  content  with  th'  plunder,  though  I 
fancy  th'  old  thief's  fingers  are  just  itchin'  to 
get  a  hold  of  our  scalp-locks.  Sufferin'  coyo- 
tes !  did  you  ever  see  Indians  work  like  that 
before?"  and  Cowboy  Jim's  eyes  turned  to 
watch  the  warriors,  who  were  working  like 
beavers  cutting  wood  and  carrying  it  to  the 


Unexpected  Display  of  Fireworks       73 

spot  where  the  great  camp-fire  was  to  be  built. 
"  Now  I  calculate  they  're  mighty  anxious  to 
find  out  what  's  in  this  big  box  an'  them 
two  trunks,  an'  they  want  a  big  blaze  to  give 
them  light,"  and  Cowboy  Jim  glanced  at  the 
coffin-like  box  containing  the  fireworks  and 
the  two  trunks  of  the  boys. 

"Is  n't  there  anything  we  can  do  to  save 
our  trunks  ?  "  Dick  asked  anxiously.  "  We  've 
got  a  lot  of  things  in  them  that  we  don't  want 
to  lose,  things  for  ourselves  and  presents  we 
brought  to  give  you  men  and  Loretta  and  her 
father  ;  and  't  will  be  like  pulling  teeth  to  see 
the  Indians  get  hold  of  them." 

Cowboy  Jim  shook  his  head.  "  No  ;  I  can't 
think  of  no  way  to  save  them.  The  Indians 
are  bound  to  take  everything,  except  what  we 
have  got  on.  Besides,  we  can't  carry  the 
trunks  on  our  backs.  We  Ve  only  got  our 
legs  to  depend  on  now,  thanks  to  that  old 
thief,"  and  Cowboy  Jim  glared  at  Running 
Bear,  who  was  superintending  the  gathering 
of  the  wood  for  the  camp-fire. 

In  a  very  short  time  a  huge  pile  of  wood 
was  ready,  and  the  camp-fire  was  lit.  In  a 
few  minutes  more  great  flames  were  leaping 
skyward,  brightly  illuminating  the  surround- 
ing darkness  for  many  feet 


74  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

It  was  a  picturesque  scene  that  the  light  of 
the  fire  revealed.  The  valley  was  not  over 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  width,  with  its  two  sides 
inclosed  by  high  walls  of  rock.  Through  its 
centre  flowed  a  small  stream  of  water,  with 
a  few  great  trees  growing  along  its  banks. 
Here  and  there  over  the  surface  of  the  valley 
were  scattered  huge  piles  of  fantastic-shaped 
rocks.  The  fire  had  been  built  between  two 
large  trees,  whose  great  arms  clasped  hands 
high  above  the  ground.  Now,  imagine  how 
such  a  scene  would  look  at  night,  in  the  red 
light  of  an  enormous  camp-fire,  the  smoke  and 
flames  rolling  skyward,  the  Indian  warriors 
hurrying  hither  and  thither  in  the  bright  light, 
like  attendant  spirits ;  and,  possibly,  your 
fancy  can  picture  to  you  something  of  the 
beauties  of  the  wild  scene  that  held  the  eyes 
of  Dick  and  Harry  spellbound  when  first  the 
great  torch  of  the  camp-fire  blazed  up  in  the 
little  valley. 

As  soon  as  the  fire  was  burning  brightly  a 
number  of  the  Indians  made  a  rush  for  the 
wagon,  but  Running  Bear  called  them  back 
with  an  angry  command,  and  bade  them  eat 
first*  51/klently  the  chief  was  hungry,  and  did 
Aot  wish  his  fast  prolonged  until  after  the 
Indians  had  examined  the  contents  of  the  box 


Unexpected  Display  of  Fireworks      75 

and  trunks.  They  had  plenty  of  fresh  buffalo 
meat,  which  they  broiled  by  thrusting  the  ends 
of  sharp  sticks,  some  twenty  inches  long, 
through  chunks  of  the  meat,  and  then  forcing 
the  other  ends  of  the  sticks  into  the  ground 
just  outside  of  the  fire,  but  inclined  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  meat  was  sufficiently  exposed 
to  the  heat  of  the  coals  to  cook  it  in  a  few 
minutes.  Of  course  the  Indians  had  no  knives 
and  forks  ;  but  they  had  teeth  and  fingers,  and 
with  these  they  tore  the  flesh  from  the  bones 
and  devoured  it  ravenously.  It  was  at  least 
an  hour  before  the  feast  ended,  and  then  Run- 
ning Bear  had  to  make  a  speech,  which  was 
followed  by  an  excited  pow-wow,  during  which 
a  number  of  other  Indians  made  speeches. 
There  were  many  glances  cast  in  the  direction 
of  the  captives,  frequently  emphasized  by  a 
pointed  hand,  that  told  them  that  they  were 
the  subject  under  discussion  and  caused  them 
not  a  little  anxiety. 

"  Well,  I  reckon  th'  circus  is  goin'  to  begin 
now,"  Cowboy  Jim  said,  as  Running  Bear 
arose  from  the  circle  of  warriors  and  stalked 
toward  the  wagon,  "  an'  we  '11  know  in  about  a 
minute  what  kind  of  music  the  band  is  goin'  to 
play.  Keep  cool,  boys.  I  anticipate  that 
Running  Bear  is  goin'  to  see  us  through  this 


76  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

accordin'  to  agreement,  an'  it  will  help  him  a 
lot  if  we  don't  tempt  him  an'  his  warriors  by 
seemin'  easy." 

When  the  chief  reached  the  wagon,  he  spoke 
a  few  words  to  the  guards  in  the  Indian  lan- 
guage ;  then  he  turned  to  the  captives. 

"  Get  out  wagon,"  he  commanded. 

Cowboy  Jim  and  his  companions  at  once 
climbed  out  and  stood  on  the  ground  close  to- 
gether. The  Indian  guard  of  ten  warriors,  at  a 
gesture  from  the  chief,  silently  stationed  them- 
selves near  the  prisoners. 

"  What  in  boxes  ?  "  and  the  chief  pointed  to 
the  two  trunks  and  the  box  of  fireworks. 

"  Them  two  small  boxes,"  answered  Cowboy 
Jim,  "belong  to  these  boys,"  and  he  pointed 
to  Dick  and  Harry,  "an'  I  don't  know  what  's 
in  them — clothes  an'  such  truck,  I  reckon. 
That  big  box —  "  Cowboy  Jim  hesitated.  Sud- 
denly it  had  flashed  into  his  mind  that  proba- 
bly the  Indians  had  never  seen  nor  heard  of 
fireworks,  and  that,  possibly,  here  was  a  chance 
to  have  some  fun  with  the  red  men,  and  even 
up  the  score  they  had  against  them  a  trifle. 

The  chief  noted  his  hesitancy.  "  What  in 
big  box  ?  "  he  demanded  sharply. 

"Well,  chief — "  Cowboy  Jim  spoke  slowly, 
and  his  face  began  to  look  as  if  he  was  about 


Unexpected  Display  of  Fireworks      77 

to  part  from  the  best  friend  he  had  in  the 
world — "  that  big  box  is  for  th'  white  men  at 
th'  ranch.  No  touch.  Hurt  Indian.  Heap 
big  smoke.  Good  for  white  man ;  no  good 
for  Indian.  Leave  here.  White  men  come 
an'  get  after  Indian  gone.  No  touch.  Hurt 
Indian." 

The  chief  grunted  disdainfully,  his  black 
eyes  twinkling  expectantly.  He  evidently 
thought  from  Cowboy  Jim's  words  and  looks 
that  the  contents  of  the  box  were  very  valu- 
able, and  that  Cowboy  Jim  was  doing  a  little 
bluffing  to  keep  him  from  opening  the  box ; 
and,  of  course,  this  was  exactly  what  the  cow- 
boy wished  him  to  think. 

"  Running  Bear  see  white  man's  heap  big 
smoke.  No  hurt  white  man,  no  hurt  Indian. 
Running  Bear  and  his  warriors  brave.  No 
afraid  of  words.  Like  white  man's  smoke. 
See  what  in  box."  He  gave  a  command,  and, 
with  a  yell,  all  the  Indians  leaped  up  from  the 
ground,  where  they  had  been  sitting  watching 
every  movement  of  Running  Bear  and  the 
palefaces,  and  ran  to  the  wagon. 

The  chief  spoke  a  few  words  to  them,  and, 
with  a  shout  of  exultation,  they  swarmed  into 
the  wagon,  seized  the  box  of  fireworks,  and  in 
three  minutes  more  had  carried  it  to  within  a 


78  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

few  feet  of  the  camp-fire,  where  they  placed  it 
on  the  ground.  A  dozen  tomahawks  soon 
knocked  the  top  boards  off  the  box,  and  as 
many  hands  quickly  began  tearing  the  cover- 
ings from  the  Roman  candles,  sky-rockets, 
giant  firecrackers,  pinwheels,  and  the  various 
other  articles,  filled  with  noises  and  colors  of 
the  most  startling  kinds,  that  had  been  liber- 
erally  purchased  to  help  make  the  celebration 
at  Lone  Hill  ranch  the  "biggest  blowout  of 
its  kind  ever  seen  in  southern  Colorado." 

In  a  very  short  time  every  Indian,  except 
the  ten  men  detailed  to  guard  the  prisoners, 
had  in  his  hand  either  a  Roman  candle,  a  sky- 
rocket, a  giant  firecracker,  or  some  other  gaily- 
colored  tube,  containing  the  manufacturers 
alone  knew  what  frightful  mixtures  of  gun- 
powder, color,  and  noise.  Running  Bear  had 
selected  the  largest  sky-rocket  in  the  box  for 
his  own  personal  enjoyment.  He  was  a  great 
chief.  His  warriors  had  to  be  content  with 
the  smaller  sky-rockets,  Roman  candles,  and 
firecrackers. 

The  Indians  now  held  an  excited  pow-wow, 
for  a  few  minutes,  over  the  tubes  which  they 
had  in  their  hands.  They  had  never  before  seen 
a  sky-rocket,  or  a  Roman  candle,  or  a  firecracker, 
but  they  had  seen  and  smoked  the  white  man's 


Unexpected  Display  of  Fireworks      79 

cigars,  and  it  did  not  take  them  long  to  con- 
clude that  they  had  been  fortunate  enough  to 
capture  a  box  of  "  heap  big  smokes  "  intended 
by  the  palefaces  for  some  unusually  grand  cele- 
bration. Of  course  the  words  that  Cowboy 
Jim  had  spoken  to  the  chief,  and  which  he  had 
repeated  to  his  warriors,  had  helped  them  to 
come  to  this  conclusion.  At  first  they  were  a 
little  doubtful  of  the  correct  method  of  pro- 
cedure, of  just  how  to  handle  these  big  smokes, 
but  Running  Bear  assured  them  that  he  un- 
derstood perfectly  well  how  to  smoke  the  big 
cigars,  and  bade  them  do  exactly  as  he  did. 

Running  Bear  now  gravely  seated  himself 
on  the  ground  near  the  fire,  holding  his  huge 
sky-rocket  in  his  right  hand,  and  his  warriors 
hastened  to  follow  his  example,  forming  a  com- 
plete circle  around  the  camp-fire.  The  chief 
waited  until  every  Indian  was  in  his  place,  and 
every  Indian's  eye  fixed  on  him.  He  fully 
realized  the  important  part  he  was  playing. 
Judging  from  the  size  of  the  cigars,  it  would 
be  the  smoke  of  their  lives,  and  he  wanted  to 
impress  upon  each  of  his  warriors  that,  great 
as  was  the  occasion,  it  was  not  great  enough 
to  ruffle  his  dignity  nor  to  hasten  the  stately 
deliberateness  of  his  movements.  When  all 
were  in  their  places  the  chief  held  up  his 


8o  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

sky-rocket,  with  the  fuse  end  toward  the  fire. 
He  had  rightly  concluded  that  this  was  the  pro- 
per end  to  light.  Every  watching  warrior  did 
likewise  with  his  sky-rocket,  or  Roman  candle, 
or  giant  cracker.  Slowly,  with  the  rapt  look  of 
one  already,  in  fancy,  contemplating  the  blue 
smoke  curling  gently  upward  from  his  giant 
cigar,  the  chief  reached  forth  and  touched  the 
fuse  of  his  sky-rocket  to  a  live  coal.  Then, 
without  haste  and  with  the  rapt  look  of  con- 
templation still  softening  his  rugged  counte- 
nance, he  opened  wide  his  mouth,  thrust  the  end 
of  the  sky-rocket  between  his  teeth,  and,  with 
a  grunt  of  satisfaction,  began  puffing  away. 
And,  almost  at  the  same  moment,  every  In- 
dian warrior  seated  around  the  camp-fire  thrust 
the  end  of  his  lighted  piece  of  fireworks  into 
his  mouth,  exactly  as  he  had  seen  his  chief  do, 
and  began  puffing. 

In  a  moment  the  fuse  of  the  chief's  sky- 
rocket started  to  sputter  and  throw  off  sparks. 
The  look  of  peaceful  contemplation  suddenly 
left  the  chief's  face.  His  eyes  opened  wide. 
He  hastily  took  the  sky-rocket  out  of  his 
mouth,  and  stared  uneasily  at  it.  The  fuse 
flashed  and  spit  more  angrily,  and  then,  with 
a  hiss  and  a  roar,  the  sky-rocket  went  off,  tak- 
ing with  it  the  tip  end  of  the  astonished  chief's 


In  another  moment  the  air  was  filled  with  flashing  blades  of  light, 
leaping  in  every  direction  and  of  every  conceivable  color." 

PAGE  80. 


Unexpected  Display  of  Fireworks      81 

nose.  At  the  same  moment  sky-rockets  and 
Roman  candles  and  giant  firecrackers  began 
going  off  all  around  the  startled  circle  of  sav- 
ages. The  chief  yelled  and  leaped  to  his 
feet.  A  Roman  candle  hit  him  in  the  eye. 
He  yelled  again,  and  gave  a  tremendous  jump 
sideways.  His  feet  struck  the  box  of  fire- 
works, and  hurled  it,  contents  and  all,  into  the 
middle  of  the  flames.  In  another  moment  the 
air  was  filled  with  flashing  blades  of  light, 
leaping  in  every  direction  and  of  every  con- 
ceivable color,  while  the  sound  was  like  the 
roar  of  ten  thousand  guns.  Something  like  a 
bushel  basketful  of  firecrackers  of  all  sizes,  in 
addition  to  innumerable  Roman  candles,  sky- 
rockets, nigger-chasers,  etc.,  etc.,  had  been 
dumped  into  the  fire  when  the  chief  upset 
the  box. 

No  pen  could  possibly  describe  the  utter 
confusion  and  terror  of  the  Indians,  as  they 
struggled  to  their  feet,  blinded  by  the  glare  of 
the  dazzling,  many-colored  lights,  covered  with 
live  coals  hurled  all  over  them  by  the  explo- 
sions taking  place  in  the  camp-fire,  deafened 
by  the  roar  of  the  bursting  crackers,  and  with 
Roman  candles  and  sky-rockets  galore  hissing 
and  shrieking  by  their  ears  and  hitting  them 
in  the  faces  and  on  the  backs  and  various 


82  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

other  parts  of  their  anatomy.  With  howls 
of  terror  they  fled  down  the  valley,  led  by 
Running  Bear,  and  followed  by  the  Indians 
detailed  to  guard  the  prisoners.  When  they 
came  to  where  their  horses  had  been  picketed, 
they  flung  themselves  on  the  ponies'  backs, 
cut  the  picket  lines,  and,  lashing  the  horses 
madly  and  yelling,  dashed  on,  frenzied  with 
fear. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE    ESCAPE 

JIM  was  the  first  to  recover  his 
senses.  "  Quick ! "  he  shouted.  "  Hitch 
the  broncos  to  the  wagon  !  Quick  !  We  must 
get  out  of  here  before  the  Indians  recover 
from  their  stampede,  if  they  ever  do,"  and  he 
sprang  toward  the  spot  where  their  horses 
had  been  picketed  by  themselves,  the  red  men, 
doubtless,  intending  to  examine  them  later  on. 
He  was  followed  by  Red  Hank  and  Dutch, 
and  Dick  and  Harry,  while  the  Mexican  and 
Bill  Burke  brought  up  the  rear. 

In  five  minutes  flying  fingers  had  hitched 
the  broncos  to  the  wagon,  and  Dutch  and 
Cowboy  Jim  were  on  their  horses'  backs. 

"  Pile  in  ! "  shouted  Red  Hank,  as  he  leaped 
into  the  wagon  and  caught  up  the  lines ;  and 
into  the  wagon,  with  all  possible  speed,  scram- 
bled Dick  and  Harry  and  Bill  Burke  and  the 
Mexican. 

"  Follow  after  me  !"  called  Cowboy  Jim,  as 


84  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

he  and  Dutch  spurred  their  broncos  up  the 
valley.  "An'  drive  fast.  If  th'  Indians  catch 
us  now  they  '11  skin  us  alive.  Great  buffaloes  ! 
but  that  was  th'  darndest  comicalest  sight  that 
ever  happened  west  of  th'  Big  Blue  ! " 

Red  Hank  gripped  the  lines  tight  and  lashed 
the  horses  unmercifully  with  his  cow-quirt. 
He  could  not  see  ten  feet  ahead  of  him,  but 
he  followed  blindly  after  Cowboy  Jim  and 
Dutch,  who  rode,  side  by  side,  a  few  feet  in 
front  of  the  horses.  The  wagon  wheels  banged 
over  rocks,  and  plunged  into  gullies,  while  the 
wagon  itself  jumped  and  swayed  like  a  combi- 
nation of  a  ship  in  a  storm  and  a  bucking 
bronco. 

Dick  and  Harry  and  Bill  Burke  and  the 
Mexican  tumbled  around  loose  in  the  wagon 
box.  It  was  impossible  for  them  to  sit  down 
or  to  stand  up.  The  only  thing  they  could  do 
was  to  lie  down  and  hold  on  to  one  another 
for  dear  life,  and  even  then  they  bounded  up 
and  down  as  if  they  were  made  out  of  India 
rubber  instead  of  good  hard  bones  and  mus- 
cles. For  at  least  half  an  hour  this  mad  pace 
was  kept  up,  and  then  Cowboy  Jim  came  to  a 
halt 

"  Golly,  dat  am  de  most  ondacious  ride  I 
ebber  done  took ! "  Bill  Burke  exclaimed,  the 


The  Escape  85 

moment  the  wagon  was  still,  as  he  slowly  arose 
to  his  feet  and  began  feeling  of  himself  all 
over.  "  I  's  sure  done  break  som'thin'." 

"  Well,  it  's  dollars  to  dimes  that  it  is  n't 
your  skull,"  Harry  complained,  sitting  up  in  the 
box  and  rubbing  his  head  ruefully.  "  When 
it  hit  mine  it  felt  as  if  I  had  struck  a  granite 
boulder." 

"Keep  quiet!"  Cowboy  Jim  commanded, 
roughly.  "  Save  your  talk  till  we  're  safe  from 
them  'tarnal  redskins.  Now  listen." 

Every  one  sat  silent  and  listened  intently. 
Not  a  sound  broke  the  deathlike  stillness  of 
that  deep  mountain  ravine,  except  the  heavy 
breathings  of  their  panting  horses.  They  had 
long  passed  out  of  sight  of  the  camp-fire,  and 
the  darkness  of  the  bottom  of  the  ravine  was 
almost  impenetrable.  High  above  their  heads 
stretched  a  strip  of  sky,  sparkling  with  hun- 
dreds of  stars.  A  soft  white  light,  that  already 
shone  half-way  down  the  left  side  of  the  ravine, 
told  them  the  moon  was  steadily  climbing  the 
eastern  skies. 

The  silence  was  reassuring.  There  was  no 
pursuit  by  the  Indians.  It  would  have  been 
impossible  for  mounted  men,  even  if  they  were 
redskins,  to  have  moved  along  the  bottom  of 
that  rocky  ravine  without  making  sufficient 


M 


86  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

noise  for  their  listening  ears  to  have  heard 
them.  Evidently  the  fright  of  the  Indians 
had  been  too  great  for  them  to  return  to  that 
valley,  at  least  not  until  daylight 

"Well,  I  don't  believe  them  fool  Indians 
will  trouble  us  again  to-night,"  Cowboy  Jim 
said,  breaking  the  silence.  "  I  can't  hear  a 
sound  of  them.  Holy  smoke  !  But  that  was 
th'  darndest,  dog-gondest,  comicalist  sight — " 
and  Cowboy  Jim  almost  fell  off  his  horse  in 
his  vain  efforts  to  control  the  sudden  outburst 
of  laughter  that  the  thought  of  the  Indians 
attempting  to  smoke  fireworks  brought  upon 
him ;  and  his  laugh  was  immediately  followed 
by  a  loud  snort  from  Dutch,  and  guffaws  from 
Red  Hank,  that  almost  shook  the  mountains. 
Even  the  Mexican  grinned  from  ear  to  ear, 
while  Dick  and  Harry  and  Bill  Burke  lay  on 
their  backs,  on  the  bottom  of  the  wagon-box, 
and  kicked  up  their  heels  and  laughed  till  they 
cried,  as  they  recalled  the  antics  of  the  dig- 
nified old  chief  when  the  sky-rocket  went  off 
in  his  hand  and  the  Roman  candles  began 
whizzing  about  his  ears.  Indians  or  no  Indi- 
ans, they  had  to  let  the  laugh  out  of  them. 

"There,  there,  men!"  Cowboy  Jim  cried 
the  moment  he  could  control  himself.  "  Stop 
this  bellowin'.  It 's  worse  than  a  herd  of  buf- 


The  Escape  87 

falo  bulls.  There  might  be  other  Indians  in 
these  mountains.  Besides,  we  ain't  out  of 
the  woods,  or  rather  mountains,  by  a  long 
shot,  yet.  Who  in  thunder  knows  where  we 
are?" 

Red  Hank  stood  up  and  looked  around. 
He  had  often  hunted  in  these  mountains,  and 
he  hoped  to  catch  sight  of  some  familiar  land- 
mark. The  moon  shone  brightly  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  ravine,  and  lit  up  the  wall  of 
rocks  and  mountain-peaks  to  the  westward. 
"  There  's  old  Wolf's  Head,  as  sure  as  shoot- 
in'  ! "  he  presently  exclaimed  joyfully,  pointing 
to  where  a  long  thin  nose  of  rock  shot  up  clear 
and  distinct  in  the  bright  moonlight.  "  Now 
we  must  be  in  Willett's  Gorge ;  an'  there  ! "  he 
gave  his  leg  a  great  slap  in  token  of  his  satis- 
faction at  the  discovery,  "  there 's  th'  Yellow 
Creek  Ravine.  This  is  th'  identical  spot  where 
me  an'  Ike  shot  th'  big  grizzly  last  fall ;  an' 
Yellow  Creek  Ravine  runs  directly  out  onto 
th'  plains  ;  an'  we  ain't  more  'n  thirty  miles 
from  Lone  Hill  ranch.  Th'  road  'long  th' 
bottom  of  Yellow  Creek  Ravine  will  be 
mighty  rough  for  th'  wagon  ;  but,  after  that, 
't  will  be  clear  sailin'  with  a  bright  moon  over 
our  heads.  Come  on,"  and  he  started  the 
broncos  toward  the  spot  where  a  ragged  gash 


88  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

in  the  side  of  the  gorge  showed  the  entrance 
of  Yellow  Creek  Ravine. 

The  road  through  Yellow  Creek  Ravine 
was,  indeed,  a  rough  one,  and  would  have 
been  absolutely  impassable  to  a  wagon  had 
not  the  bed  of  the  creek  been  dry.  It  was 
covered  with  stones  of  all  sizes,  and  crossed 
by  innumerable  small  gullies ;  and  it  was  im- 
possible to  draw  the  wagon  over  these  ob- 
structions faster  than  a  slow  walk,  while  its 
occupants  were  kept  almost  continually  on  the 
"  bump." 

"  I  's  gwine  to  walk,"  Bill  Burke  protested. 
"  Dis  niggah  's  got  bones  wid  feelin's  in  dem. 
I 's—  At  that  moment  there  was  a  par- 
ticularly hard  jolt,  and  Bill  Burke  was  pitched 
head  first  out  of  the  wagon. 

Dick  and  Harry,  laughing  heartily  at  the 
negro's  mishap,  climbed  out  after  him.  They, 
too,  had  bones  "  wid  feelin's  in  dem."  But  the 
Mexican  stuck  to  the  wagon.  According  to  his 
opinion  legs  were  made  for  straddling  a  horse's 
back  and  not  for  the  purpose  of  walking. 

For  nearly  an  hour  they  struggled  along 
over  the  rocky  bottom  of  Yellow  Creek  Ra- 
vine; and  then,  to  the  exceeding  great  satisfac- 
tion of  all,  the  ravine  suddenly  opened  out 
on  to  a  large  level  plain,  rendered  almost  as 


The  Escape  89 

light  as  day  by  the  bright  beams  of  a  full 
moon. 

The  boys  now  got  into  the  wagon  again ; 
and,  with  Cowboy  Jim  and  Dutch  galloping 
on  a  little  ahead  and  Red  Hank  keeping  the 
broncos  going  at  a  steady  trot,  the  journey 
was  resumed. 

Under  more  favorable  circumstances  a  ride 
across  the  great  plains  by  moonlight  would 
have  been  delightful,  and  as  romantic  as  it 
was  delightful ;  but,  under  the  present  con- 
dition of  affairs,  it  seemed  a  very  long,  tedious, 
and  disagreeable  ride  to  Dick  and  Harry,  who 
were  so  completely  worn  out  with  their  long 
journey  and  the  day's  excitements  that  even 
the  joltings  of  the  wagon  could  not  keep  them 
awake,  as  they  travelled  mile  after  mile  over 
the  seemingly  endless  monotony  of  the  great 
plain.  Hour  after  hour  went  by,  and  on  and 
on  trotted  the  tireless  broncos,  until,  at  last, 
just  as  the  sun  was  rising,  the  wagon  was 
brought  to  a  halt  on  the  brow  of  a  hill  that 
commanded  a  wide  view  of  the  plain  beyond. 

Almost  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see,  stretched 
the  great  plain  to  the  front  of  them,  level  as 
the  floor,  except  where,  something  like  four 
miles  away,  rose  a  solitary  Will,  which  looked 
like  the  half  of  a  great  ball  slapped  down  on 


90  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

the  level  floor  of  the  plain.  On  the  summit 
of  this  hill  stood  a  number  of  long,  low  build- 
ings, and  near  by  a  great  herd  of  cattle  was 
arising  from  its  night's  bed  and  beginning  to 
graze.  A  long  streamer  of  smoke  curled  hos- 
pitably above  the  roof  of  one  of  the  buildings, 
and  men  and  horsescould  be  seen  moving  about. 

Dick  and  Harry  rubbed  their  eyes  and 
looked.  Then  they  stood  up  in  the  wagon 
box  and,  rubbing  their  eyes  more  vigorously 
than  ever,  looked  again.  Then,  with  a  great 
shout,  both  boys  leaped  out  of  the  wagon, 
whirled  their  hats  high  above  their  heads,  and 
yelling,  "  Lone  Hill  ranch  !"  dashed  down  the 
hill  in  the  direction  of  the  ranch  buildings. 

Cowboy  Jim  and  Dutch  laughed,  and  gal- 
loped after  them. 

"  Stops  !  Stops  ! "  Dutch  called,  "  you  lunatic 
poys !  Stops  und  gets  der  wagon  back  in. 
It 's  more  as  four  miles  to  dot  ranch.  Stops ! " 

Dick  and  Harry  halted.  The  clear  air  of 
the  plains  had  deceived  them.  To  their  eyes, 
unaccustomed  to  judging  distances  on  the 
plains,  the  ranch  had  seemed  only  a  half  a 
mile  or  so  away. 

The  two  boys  hurried  back,  a  bit  crest- 
fallen, to  the  wagon,  and  at  once  began  urging 
Red  Hank  to  get  all  kinds  of  quick  moves  on 


The  Escape  91 

him ;  but  that  obstinate  individual  avowed 
that  the  broncos  were  completely  blowed  and 
that  he  had  just  got  to  give  them  a  breathing 
spell ;  and  for  ten  minutes  the  excited  lads 
were  compelled  to  sit  and  gaze  with  longing 
eyes  at  the  ranch,  while  the  broncos  were  get- 
ting their  wind  back.  At  the  end  of  that  time, 
Red  Hank  swung  his  quirt  and  yelled ;  and 
the  willing  horses  dashed  down  the  hill  in  the 
direction  of  the  ranch. 

It  was  soon  seen  that  something  unusual 
was  going  on  at  the  ranch.  A  crowd  of  horse- 
men had  quickly  gathered  in  an  open  space  in 
front  of  the  house-building,  and  appeared  to 
be  getting  ready  to  start  off  on  an  expedition 
of  some  kind. 

Cowboy  Jim  rode  up  by  the  side  of  Red 
Hank,  a  smile  on  his  face.  "  I  knowed  Abel 
Johnson  would  start  th'  boys  out  early  this 
mornin'  to  see  what  had  become  of  us,"  he 
said.  "  Look  there,  they  're  havin'  th'  general 
round-up  now.  I  anticipate  they  ain't  lookin' 
none  for  us  in  this  direction,  which  ain't  th' 
road  from  El  Moro  by  'bout  th'  half  of  th'  cir- 
cle of  th'  compass.  We  'd  better  give  them 
a  volley,  just  to  let  them  know  that  it 's  we, 
us,  and  company  that 's  comin'.  Now,  all  to- 
gether, one — two — three  ! "  As  he  spoke  he 


92  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

pulled  out  his  six-shooter,  Red  Hank  and  Dutch 
doing  likewise  ;  and,  at  the  word  three,  all  fired 
together,  three  shots,  one  right  after  the  other. 

A  moment  afterward,  Dick  shouted  :  "  They 
see  us  !  They  see  us  !  I  can  see  them  waving 
their  hats  and  almost  hear  them  yelling. 
Hurrah  !  Here  they  come  ! " 

The  crowd  of  horsemen  were  now  stream- 
ing away  from  the  ranch  buildings,  down  the 
hill,  and  coming  as  fast  as  swift  broncos  could 
carry  them  straight  toward  the  wagon.  In  a 
few  minutes  one  of  the  riders  outdistanced 
the  others.  Dick's  and  Harry's  eyes  were 
fixed  on  this  rider,  and  their  hearts  jumped 
with  excitement  when  they  saw  the  long  dark 
hair  streaming  back  behind  the  horse's  head. 
About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  the  rider 
halted  for  an  instant,  on  the  top  of  a  little 
knoll,  apparently  to  get  a  better  look  at  the 
occupants  of  the  wagon  ;  and  then,  with  a  glad 
shout,  dashed  on  faster  than  ever. 

"It's  Loretta!"  "It's  Loretta!"  shouted 
Dick  and  Harry  almost  in  unison  ;  and  then 
both  boys  leaped  from  the  wagon  and  ran  to 
meet  the  beautiful  girl,  who,  with  glowing 
cheeks,  and  sparkling  eyes,  and  flying  hair, 
looked  the  young  goddess  of  those  wild  and 
beautiful  plains,  as  she  galloped  up  on  her  pony. 


"  The  rider  halted  for  an  instant,  apparently  to  get  a  better  view  of 
the  occupants  of  the  wagon." 

PAGE  92. 


CHAPTER   XI 

LONE    HILL    RANCH 

THE  moment  Loretta  met  the  boys  she 
leaped  lightly  off  the  back  of  Bonny  Bess  ; 
and,  throwing  her  arms  around  Dick's  neck, 
kissed  him  as  freely  and  as  innocently  and  as 
lovingly  as  she  would  a  brother ;  and  the  next 
moment  she  was  according  exactly  the  same 
delightful  welcome  to  Harry.  She  was  very, 
very  glad  to  see  the  two  boys,  and  did  not 
dream  of  concealing  her  feelings.  Why  should 
she  ?  She  had  had  only  nature — the  God  that 
made  her — for  her  teacher  ;  and  she  had  never 
learned  a  single  reason  why  she  should  not  be 
fond  of  Dick  and  Harry,  nor,  being  fond  of 
them,  why  she  should  not  show  her  fondness 
freely ;  and,  possibly,  these  were  the  very 
reasons  why  Dick  and  Harry  thought  her  the 
most  charming  and  delightful  girl-comrade 
they  had  ever  known,  and  never  even  dreamed 
of  getting  "  silly  "  while  in  her  presence. 

Loretta  was  now  a  little  over  fourteen  years 

N 


94  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

old ;  not  very  tall  for  her  age,  but  with  a  well- 
developed  body,  and  as  quick  and  as  graceful 
in  her  movements  as  a  young  fawn.  Her  eyes 
were  dark  and  sparkling  ;  her  cheeks,  glowing 
with  health,  were  colored  with  the  dark  rich 
red  of  the  ripe  peach  ;  and  her  round,  full  lips 
looked  always  as  if  she  were  about  to  smile. 
Indeed,  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  imagine  a 
merrier  or  a  handsomer  little  maiden  than  the 
one  who  now  walked  between  Dick  and  Harry, 
her  smiling  face  turning  first  to  one  boy,  then 
to  the  other,  and  her  tongue  going  so  fast  that 
it  was  seldom  that  either  lad  got  a  chance  to 
say  a  word — and  they  were  content  to  just  look 
and  listen. 

"  Oh,  I  forgot !  "  and  Loretta,  whirling 
around  suddenly,  faced  her  pony,  which  had 
been  affectionately  following  close  behind  her 
mistress.  "  Here's  Bonny  Bess;  and  I  know 
she  is  almost  as  glad  to  see  you  as  I  am. 
Aren't  you,  pet?" 

The  pony  nodded  her  beautiful  head  ;  and 
then,  taking  a  step  nearer,  reached  forth  and 
gently  touched  Dick  with  her  nose,  at  the  same 
time  giving  his  coat  a  mischievous  little  nibble 
with  her  lips. 

"  See,  she  knows  you,  Dick  !  "  exclaimed  her 
delighted  mistress.  "  She  remembers  you,  and 


Lone  Hill  Ranch  95 

that  little  nibble  was  to  tell  you  how  glad  she 
is  to  see  you.  She  always  nibbles  me  that  way 
when  I  have  been  away  from  her  for  a  few 
days.  Now,  where  are  your  manners,  madam  ! 
Have  you  forgotten  Harry?"  and  Loretta 
looked  with  mock  severity  at  Bonny  Bess. 

The  pony  gave  her  head  a  knowing  little 
toss ;  and  then,  following  her  mistress'  eyes, 
touched  Harry  with  her  nose  and  gave  his 
coat  the  same  dainty  little  nibble. 

"  Now,  shake  hands  with  your  friends.  They 
have  come  a  long  way  to  see  you,"  commanded 
Loretta. 

After  two  or  three  mischievous  shakes  of 
her  pretty  head  Bonny  Bess  raised  her  right 
leg  and  extended  her  hoof  to  Harry ;  and, 
after  Harry  had  shaken  "hands",  the  pony 
proffered  the  same  courtesy  to  Dick. 

"  Is  n't  she  just  the  dearest  pony  that  ever 
lived !  "  Loretta  exclaimed,  throwing  her 
arms  around  the  arched  neck  of  Bonny  Bess. 
"  Even  papa  thinks  she 's  almost  human,  and 
she  has  lived  like  a  queen  ever  since  she  saved 
my  life  that  time  the  Indians  captured  us.  Oh, 
I  do  hope  we  won't  have  any  trouble  with  the 
Indians  this  time  ! "  She  stopped  abruptly 
and  turned  with  a  startled  look  to  the  two 
boys.  "  What  has  happened  ?  why  did  n't  you 


96  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

get  here  last  night  ?  Papa  heard  that  Running 
Bear  and  his  Indians  are  on  the  warpath  ;  and 
when  you  did  n't  come  last  night  we  were  all 
terribly  frightened.  I  could  n't  sleep.  And 
this  morning  papa  and  his  cowboys  were  just 
going  to  start  out  to  see  what  had  become  of 
you,  when  we  heard  your  shots  ;  and  there  you 
were  coming  across  the  plain  where  we  did  n't 
expect  to  see  you  at  all.  I  know  something 
terrible  has  happened.  Now,  sit  right  down 
on  this  rock  and  tell  me  all  about  it,"  and  she 
stopped  where  a  rock  several  feet  in  diameter 
thrust  its  head  above  the  ground. 

Dick  and  Harry  seated  themselves  on  the 
huge  stone,  and  Loretta  threw  herself  down  on 
the  grass  by  the  side  of  the  rock.  A  glance 
had  shown  Dick  and  Harry  that  they  were  not 
likely  to  be  interrupted  for  some  little  while. 
Abel  Johnson  and  his  cowboys  had  ridden 
straight  to  the  wagon  ;  and  were  now  gathered 
around  Cowboy  Jim  and  his  companions,  evi- 
dently listening  to  the  story  of  the  night's 
adventures. 

"You  tell  Loretta,  Harry,"  Dick  said. 
'  Your  tongue  runs  easier  than  mine  does." 
And  Harry  told  the  story. 

Loretta  soon  became  intensely  interested ; 
and,  when  Harry  described  how  Running  Bear 


Lone  Hill  Ranch  97 

and  his  warriors  gravely  seated  themselves 
around  the  camp-fire,  each  with  a  sky-rocket  or 
a  Roman  candle  or  a  giant  firecracker  in  his 
hand,  thinking  they  were  "heap  big"  cigars, 
she  could  control  herself  no  longer,  and,  jump- 
ing to  her  feet,  exclaimed,  excitedly  :  "  Oh, 
did  they  really  try  to  smoke  them  !  Tell  me 
quick  !  Did  Running  Bear  really  try  to  smoke 
that  great  sky-rocket  ?  Quick !  I  want  to 
know  what  happened?"  And  when  Harry 
told  her  what  happened,  she  danced  up  and 
down,  and  clapped  her  hands  together,  and 
laughed  until  the  tears  ran  down  her  cheeks, 
and  wished  over  and  over  again  that  she  might 
have  been  there. 

"  Now  take  me  to  Bill  Burke ! "  she  cried, 
eagerly,  the  moment  she  had  her  laugh  out. 
"  I  want  to  see  the  *  heap  big  black  medicine.' 

0  dear,   I  think  you  boys  have  the  funniest 
and    most    exciting    adventures !       I    wonder 
why  anything  like  that  never  happens  when 

1  go  to  El  Moro.     How  I  wish  papa  had  let 
me  go  with  Cowboy  Jim.     I  wanted  to.     Come 
on.     I  do  so  want  to  see  that  funny  black  fel- 
low, Bill  Burke.     I  can  beat  you  to  papa,"  and 
off  she  started  on  the  run,  bounding  over  the 
smooth  turf  of  the  plains  as  swiftly  and  as  grace- 
fully as  a  fawn. 


98  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Dick  and  Harry  hesitated,  but  only  for  an 
instant.  They  had  left  all  the  conventionali- 
ties behind  them  ;  they  were  hundreds  of  miles 
beyond  the  keen  sight  of  Madame  Grundy ; 
and  they  felt  free  to  act  like  healthful,  spirited 
boys  without  giving  a  thought  to  the  so-called 
proprieties.  With  a  shout,  both  lads  leaped 
from  the  rock,  and  sped  after  Loretta  as  swiftly 
as  their  legs  could  carry  them. 

Now  Harry  was  built  tall  and  slim  ;  and  the 
last  Field  Day  had  proven  him  the  swiftest 
runner  in  the  Yahara  High  School ;  but,  to  his 
very  great  astonishment,  he  met  his  match  in 
this  little  maiden  of  the  plains.  The  distance 
from  the  rock,  where  they  started,  to  the 
wagon  must  have  been  very  nearly  twenty 
rods ;  and  both  boys,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
race,  had  felt  very  confident  of  being  able  to 
overhaul  the  girl  long  before  the  wagon  was 
reached  ;  but,  somehow,  not  even  Harry  could 
gain  an  inch  on  Loretta,  although  he  tried  his 
very  hardest ;  for  a  glance  ahead  had  told  him 
that  Abel  Johnson  and  his  cowboys  were 
watching  the  race,  and — well,  what  boy  would 
care  to  be  beaten  by  a  girl  in  a  foot  race, 
right  before  the  eyes  of  a  crowd  of  jeering 
cowboys  ? 

"  Oil  up  your  joints,  boys  ! "  shouted  Cowboy 


Lone  Hill  Ranch  99 

Jim,  delightedly.  "Shove  your  legs  faster, 
Harry,  or  the  gal  will  beat  you  !  Hurrah  for 
the  Rose  of  Lone  Hill  ranch!  She 's  a  winner 
by  a  good  three  lengths  ! " 

With  eyes  sparkling  with  excitement,  and 
cheeks  flushed  a  deeper  red  by  the  violence  of 
her  exertions,  Loretta  reached  her  father's  side 
a  "  good  three  lengths,"  as  Cowboy  Jim  put  it, 
ahead  of  Harry,  while  Dick — well,  Dick  was  n't 
in  this  race  at  all. 

Abel  Johnson  gave  the  boys  a  most  hearty 
welcome  to  Lone  Hill  ranch  ;  and  the  cow- 
boys almost  shook  their  arms  from  their  shoul- 
ders with  the  warmth  of  their  greetings. 

Loretta's  eyes  at  once  began  a  search  for 
Bill  Burke.  They  found  him  standing  alone 
near  the  wagon.  He  had  been  surrounded  by 
cowboys  until  the  advent  of  Dick  and  Harry, 
when  all  had  left  him  to  tender  their  greetings 
to  the  boys.  Dick  and  Harry  were  too  busy 
just  now  to  give  her  an  introduction.  In  fact 
she  had  little  use  for  the  formalities  of  intro- 
ductions anyway.  She  marched  right  up  to 
the  negro  boy  and  held  out  her  hand  im- 
pulsively to  him. 

"You  are  Bill  Burke,"  she  said.  "  I  know 
because  Dick  and  Harry  have  told  me  all 
about  you, — the  way  you  butted  over  those  two 


ioo  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Indians  and  all  ;  and  I  want  to  welcome  you 
to  Lone  Hill  ranch.  I  am  Loretta,  and  my 
papa  is  Abel  Johnson,  that  big  man  who  is 
always  laughing,"  and  she  shook  the  negro's 
hand  heartily. 

A  thousand  wrinkles  jumped  all  over  Bill 
Burke's  pleased  face,  and  he  bowed  and  scraped 
in  his  most  elegant  manner.  "  I  's  pow'ful 
delighted  to  make  your  acquaintanceship,  Miss 
'Retta.  Deed,  I  's  'most  rapturfied,"  and  he 
shook  her  hand  as  if  her  sleeve  were  filled  with 

eggs. 

Loretta  smiled,  and  laughed,  and  talked  ; 
and  in  two  minutes  Bill  Burke  had  placed  her 
upon  a  pedestal,  and  was  ready  to  fall  down 
before  it  and  worship  her. 

As  soon  as  the  greetings  were  over,  fif- 
teen cowboys,  under  the  leadership  of  Red 
Hank,  rode  away,  following  the  trail  made 
by  the  wagon.  They  were  going  back  to  the 
mountains,  after  the  rifles  that  had  been  left 
behind  in  the  hurry  of  the  flight ;  for  it  was 
the  opinion  of  Abel  Johnson  and  those  with 
him  who  were  best  acquainted  with  Indian 
nature  that  Running  Bear  and  his  warriors 
had  been  too  badly  frightened  to  again  ven- 
ture near  the  scene  of  that  astounding  display 
of  fireworks,  and  that  they  would  find  the 


Lone  Hill  Ranch  101 

rifles  where  the  terrified  Indians  had  left  them. 
This  proved  to  be  the  case  ;  for  when  Red 
Hank  and  his  men  returned,  they  not  only 
brought  with  them  the  rifles,  to  the  great  joy 
of  Dick  and  Harry,  and  especially  Bill  Burke, 
but  also  various  other  weapons,  abandoned  by 
the  Indians  when  they  fled  from  what  was  to 
them  the  most  terrifying  sight  of  their  lives. 

There  was  no  scowl  on  Black  Juan's  face 
when  he  was  introduced  to  Abel  Johnson, 
who,  after  a  few  inquiries  concerning  his  abil- 
ity to  do  the  work  required,  hired  him  at 
once.  Indeed,  Abel  Johnson  was  very  glad 
to  secure  the  services  of  an  able  cowboy, 
such  as  Black  Juan  declared  himself  to  be  ; 
for  the  expedition,  which  would  soon  start  in 
search  of  the  hermit's  treasure  cave,  was  to  be 
made  up  largely  of  his  most  trusted  cowboys, 
and  would  leave  him  shorthanded. 

Black  Juan  was  also  pleased.  So  far  every- 
thing had  worked  exactly  as  he  wished  it  to ; 
and  the  rest — well,  no  man  can  foretell  with 
absolute  accuracy  the  happenings  of  the  future, 
but  Black  Juan  felt  quite  positive  that  the  next 
few  days  would  prove  to  be  the  most  exciting 
period  in  the  history  of  the  Lone  Hill  ranch, 
and  that  he  would  be  one  of  the  star  actors  in 

bringing  about  this  condition  of  excitement. 

o 


iO2  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Therefore,  Black  Juan  was  pleased  ;  and  the 
smile  on  his  face,  as  he  thanked  Abel  John- 
son, showed  his  pleasure — and  would  have 
showed  much  more  had  Abel  Johnson  been 
gifted  with  the  art  of  reading  smiles. 

As  soon  as  the  ranch-house  was  reached  a 
hearty  breakfast  was  served ;  and  then,  so 
completely  fagged  out  were  Dick  and  Harry 
and  Bill  Burke  that  Abel  Johnson  insisted 
that  the  three  of  them  go  to  their  room  at 
once,  and  go  to  bed,  and  stay  there  as  long  as 
they  could  keep  their  eyes  shut. 

"  Well,  if  the  excitement  keeps  up  like  this 
we  '11  have  a  lot  to  tell  the  boys  when  we  get 
back  to  Yahara,"  were  the  last  words  of  Harry 
as  he  tumbled  into  his  comfortable  bunk. 

"  Yes,  boss,"  responded  Bill  Burke,  sleepily  ; 
and  in  two  minutes  more  all  three  boys  were 
sound  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE    PACK-MULE     TRAIN 

HOW  long  the  tired  boys  would  have  slept 
will  never  be  known  ;  for  they  were  still 
sound  asleep  when  suddenly  awakened  by  Lo- 
retta,  who  was  rapping  loudly  on  their  door 
and  calling  excitedly:  "Oh,  Dick!  Harry! 
Bill  Burke !  Wake  up  !  Get  up,  quick  ! 
Captain  Kent  is  coming  !  Hurry  !  Captain 
Kent  is  coming !  Oh,  you  big  sleepy  heads !  Do 
wake  up!  It's  almost  sundown!  Hurry! 
Captain  Kent  is  coming  !  "  and  she  beat  on  the 
door  with  both  of  her  little  doubled-up  fists. 

Bill  Burke  grunted  and  rolled  over  in  his 
bunk.  Dick  and  Harry  both  sat  up  and  stared 
blankly  around  the  strange  room.  It  was  a 
moment  before  they  realized  where  they  were  ; 
and  then  it  all  came  to  them  in  a  flash,  and 
they  understood  the  news  Loretta  was  calling 
out  so  excitedly.  With  a  yell  that  made  Bill 
Burke  grab  his  woolly  scalp-locks  and  bound 
out  of  bed,  both  boys  leaped  to  the  floor, 


IO4  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

shouting  :  "  We  're  coming  !  Just  as  soon  as 
we  can  jump  into  our  clothes  we  '11  be  there ! 
Hurrah  for  Captain  Kent ! "  and  they  began 
throwing  on  their  garments  as  if  the  house 
were  on  fire  and  their  lives  depended  on  their 
speed  in  getting  out  of  the  room. 

The  moment  the  door  opened  Loretta  caught 
the  two  boys  by  their  hands.  "  Quick  !  "  she 
cried,  "  he  must  be  almost  here  now.  I 
waited  until  I  was  sure  it  was  Captain  Kent 
before  I  called  you.  Come  on  !"  and,  still 
holding  them  by  their  hands,  she  ran  with 
them  down  the  long  hall  and  out  through  the 
door  that  opened  on  the  large  yard  in  front  of 
the  ranch-house. 

A  pack-train  of  ten  mules,  accompanied  by  a 
number  of  horsemen,  was  just  beginning  to 
ascend  the  hill  on  which  the  ranch  buildings 
were  situated,  as  Loretta  and  Dick  and  Harry 
came  out. 

"  There  he  is ! "  cried  Loretta,  and  letting 
go  of  the  boys'  hands,  she  raced  down  the  hill 
in  the  direction  of  the  pack-train. 

"Whoop!  Hurrah!  Captain  Kent!" 
shouted  Harry,  pausing  long  enough  to  whirl 
his  hat  once  around  his  head ;  and  then  he 
was  speeding  down  the  hill  after  Loretta. 

"Captain     Kent!       Hello!      Hurrah!     O 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  105 

Captain  Kent  ! "  Dick  yelled,  whirling  his 
arms  around  like  a  windmill  ;  and  he  was  off, 
down  the  hill  after  Harry. 

At  the  head  of  the  little  cavalcade,  which 
was  now  slowly  ascending  Lone  Hill,  rode  a 
medium-sized,  squarely-built  man,  with  clear 
blue  eyes  that  seemed  to  have  the  ability  to 
"see  plumb  through  a  feller,  hide  an'  all," 
as  Red  Hank  put  it.  The  face  was  smooth- 
shaven,  not  even  being  graced  with  the  long 
mustache  with  which  artists  are  so  fond  of  de- 
picting Western  heroes ;  and  was  such  a  strong, 
kindly,  resolute-looking  face,  that  it  at  once 
inspired  confidence  in  the  kindliness  and  ability 
of  the  man. 

This  was  Captain  David  Kent,  at  that  time 
one  of  the  most  famous  of  the  hunters,  scouts, 
and  Indian  fighters  in  the  West ;  and  as  far  re- 
moved in  looks  from  the  ordinary  hero  of 
Western  romances,  as — well,  as  far  as  said  ro- 
mances are  removed,  usually,  from  the  reality. 
He  was  the  warm  friend  of  Dick  and  Harry 
and  Abel  Johnson;  and  was  to  command  the 
expedition  to  secure  the  treasure  in  the  her- 
mit's cave. 

When  Captain  Kent  saw  the  children  racing 
down  the  hill  toward  him,  he  spurred  up  his 
horse  and  galloped  forward  to  meet  them  ;  and 


io6  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

soon  the  three  were  shaking  his  hands,  and 
laughing,  and  talking  so  vehemently,  and 
loudly,  and  so  all  together,  that  the  poor  Cap- 
tain could  only  stand  speechless  and  let  the 
waves  of  their  welcome  roll  over  him.  But  it 
needed  only  a  look  at  Captain  Kent's  face 
to  tell  how  heartily  he  was  enjoying  the  en- 
thusiastic greetings  of  his  young  friends. 

Loretta  and  Dick  and  Harry  were  not  suf- 
fered long  to  monopolize  Captain  Kent.  Be- 
fore they  were  half  through  telling  him  how 
glad  they  were  to  see  him,  Abel  Johnson  and 
Cowboy  Jim  and  the  other  cowboys  bore  down 
upon  them,  each  eager  to  grasp  Captain  Kent's 
hand  and  bid  him  welcome  to  Lone  Hill 
ranch.  With  many  laughing  protests,  Loretta 
and  the  boys  gave  way  to  their  boisterous  on- 
set, and  hurried  after  the  pack-train,  which 
was  now  entering  the  large  yard  in  front  of 
the  ranch-house.  They  had  never  before  seen 
a  pack-mule  train  ;  and  the  sight  of  the  ten 
mules,  burdened  with  their  huge  packs,  had 
greatly  interested  them,  and  they  were  curious 
to  know  how  the  animals  were  unloaded. 

"I  wonder  what  can  be  in  the  packs?" 
Loretta  queried,  as  they  approached  the  mules, 
now  brought  to  a  halt  and  standing  one  close 
behind  the  other.  "  I  hope  Captain  Kent  will 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  107 

open  them  to-night  and  show  us  what  is  in  them. 
I  do  so  love  to  look  at  things,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  I  fancy  they  contain  things  that  we  are 
going  to  need  when  we  go  into  the  mountains 
after  the  treasure,"  Harry  replied.  "  You 
know  we  can't  take  any  wagons  with  us,  be- 
cause the  road  is  so  rough  ;  and  that  is  the 
reason,  I  think,  why  Captain  Kent  brought  the 
pack-mules  with  him.  We  will  need  them  to 
carry  our  outfit,  and  to  bring  back  the  treas- 
ure. My,  there  must  be  millions  of  dollars 
worth  of  gold  and  jewels  in  that  cave ! — 
Hurry  !  They  are  beginning  to  unload  the 
mules." 

The  three  children  quickened  their  pace, 
and  in  another  minute  were  standing  by  the 
side  of  the  foremost  mule,  whose  packs  were 
being  removed. 

The  fastening  of  two  large  bundles  on  a 
mule's  back  so  firmly  that  they  will  not  work 
loose  and  fall  off,  or  slip  under  the  mule's  belly 
during  a  day's  journey,  is  an  art  that  requires 
experienced  and  skilled  hands  ;  and  Captain 
Kent  had  brought  with  him  for  that  purpose 
two  men  who  were  adepts  at  this  difficult 
work.  These  two  packers  now  stood  one  on 
each  side  of  the  mule.  They  had  already  un- 
tied the  long  rope,  which  was  wound  several 


io8  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

times  around  the  packs  and  under  the  mule's 
belly  to  hold  them  firmly  in  place,  when  Lo- 
retta  and  the  boys  came  up.  This  left  the 
two  packs,  coupled  by  a  rope,  balanced  across 
the  saddle,  whence  they  were  easily  lifted 
and  laid  on  the  ground.  The  saddle,  a  nearly 
square  pad  of  leather  stuffed  with  hay  and  cov- 
ering the  animal's  back  on  both  sides  equally, 
like  a  book  placed  saddle-fashion  over  the  back 
of  a  chair,  was  next  uncinched  and  placed  by 
the  side  of  the  packs.  Then  the  saddle-cloth, 
and  the  soft  sheepskin  worn  underneath  to 
prevent  chafing,  were  taken  off  and  thrown  on 
top  of  the  saddle ;  and  the  mule  was  "  un- 
packed." With  an  almost  audible  sigh  of  re- 
lief, the  animal  trotted  off  the  moment  the 
sheepskin  was  taken  from  its  back,  and  the 
next  mule  quickly  took  its  place.  In  a  sur- 
prisingly short  time,  so  deftly  did  the  two  men 
work,  the  packs  were  all  off  the  backs  of  the 
mules,  and  the  animals  themselves  standing 
contentedly  bunched  together  a  few  yards 
away. 

"  Well,  I  'm  mighty  glad  I  am  not  a  pack- 
mule,"  Dick  said,  as  the  last  pack  was  laid  on 
the  ground.  "Just  see  how  completely  worn 
out  the  tired  animals  look.  Hello,  Cowboy 
Jim,  what 's  going  to  happen  now?"  he  called 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  109 

to  that  worthy,  as  he  came  up,  followed  by 
half  a  dozen  cowboys. 

"  Nothin',"  responded  Cowboy  Jim,  "ex- 
ceptin'  we  've  orders  to  tote  this  luggage  into 
th'  storeroom  an'  lock  it  up.  I  anticipate  Cap- 
tain Kent  is  afraid  these  blamed  packs  have 
got  legs  an'  would  run  off  if  they  were  n't  cor- 
ralled under  lock  and  key.  Here,  you  fellers, 
don't  get  rambunctous.  I  reckon  two  men 
to  one  mule  load  is  'bout  right,"  and  he  gave 
his  attention  to  seeing  that  the  packs  were 
properly  carried  into  the  storeroom. 

"  I  do  wonder  whatever  can  be  in  those 
packs,"  Loretta  sighed,  her  feminine  curi- 
osity thoroughly  aroused.  "  And  I  don't  be- 
lieve Captain  Kent  is  going  to  open  them  at 
all  to-night.  Come,  let 's  go  and  find  him  and 
ask  him  about  them.  I  saw  him  and  papa  go 
into  the  house  a  few  minutes  ago." 

Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson  were  found, 
sitting  on  the  west  porch  of  the  house,  talking 
and  watching  the  sun  sinking  behind  the  tall 
peaks  of  the  mountains.  Captain  Kent  smiled 
when  Loretta,  in  her  impulsive,  childlike  way, 
asked  about  the  packs,  and  wanted  to  know 
what  was  inside  of  them,  and  when  he  was 
going  to  open  them. 

"There,  there,  don't  get  excited,"  he  replied, 


no  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

good-naturedly,  in  answer  to  her  queries. 
"  Come  and  sit  down  by  my  side,  and  I  '11  tell 
you  all  about  those  mysterious  packs.  Now, 
come  to  think  about  it,  I  guess  there  is  one 
that  I  shall  have  to  open  to-night,  because 
there  is  something  in  it  that  I  very  much  want 
a  little  girl  I  know  to  see." 

"  Oh,  I  know  it  's  something  for  me ! " 
Loretta  exclaimed,  her  eyes  beginning  to 
sparkle.  "  Do  tell  me  what  it  is,  Captain 
Kent?  Please  do  tell  me? "and  running  to 
him  she  seated  herself  in  his  lap,  and  put  her 
arms  around  his  neck,  and  looked  so  bewitch- 
ingly  up  into  his  face  that  Captain  Kent's 
heart,  right  then  and  there,  became  as  mould- 
ing clay  to  the  touch  of  her  soft  little  fingers. 

Abel  Johnson  laughed.  "  No  use  buckin', 
David,"  he  said.  "  When  my  little  gal  gets 
her  arms  cinched  'round  a  feller's  neck  like 
that,  he  's  a  goner.  Might  just  as  well  give 
in  at  th'  first  pull  of  th'  rope  ;  an'  if  I  was  you 
I  'd  start  for  that  pack  this  minute.  She  won't 

never  let  up  till  she  sees  what  's  in  it.  An' 
j » 

Loretta  had  glided  swiftly  from  Captain 
Kent's  lap,  and  quickly  clapped  one  of  her 
hands  over  her  father's  mouth.  "  There,  that 
will  do,  Papa  Johnson!"  she  cried,  in  seeming 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  in 

great  anger.  "  I  am  not  going  to  tease  Cap- 
tain Kent  the  least  little  bit,  because  he  's  not 
like  you,  you  great  big  naughty  papa ;  and  I 
won't  even  have  to  ask  him  to  go  and  get 
that  pack  right  off  now,  will  I  ? "  and  she 
glanced  archly  at  Captain  Kent. 

Captain  Kent  laughed,  and  jumped  quickly 
to  his  feet.  "  Indeed,  you  will  not,"  and  he 
bowed  to  the  little  maiden.  "  Your  hint  is 
sufficiently  strong  to  move  a  much  heavier 
man  than  I  am.  I  go  ;  and  when  I  return, 
you  will  see — what  you  see.  Come  on,  Dick 
and  Harry.  I  may  need  your  help,"  and,  fol- 
lowed by  the  two  boys,  Captain  Kent  hurried 
away  to  the  storeroom  where  the  packs  had 
been  placed. 

When  the  storeroom  was  reached,  Captain 
Kent  seated  himself  on  one  of  the  packs.  "  I 
want  to  have  a  short  talk  with  you  boys,"  he 
said ;  "  and  this  is  as  good  a  place  as  any,  so 
sit  down  and  make  yourselves  comfortable." 

Dick  and  Harry  quickly  found  seats,  and 
turned  expectantly  to  Captain  Kent. 

"  I  doubt  very  much  if  you  boys  clearly 
comprehend,"  he  began,  "  the  importance  of 
the  expedition  we  are  about  to  undertake  to 
the  treasure  cave,  and  how  necessary  it  is  for 
us  all  to  exercise  the  greatest  caution,  and  I 


H2  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

want  to  have  this  talk  with  you  to  put  you  on 
your  guard.  Unless  my  eyes  deceived  me 
greatly,  the  piles  of  gold  and  silver  and  jewels 
that  we  saw  in  that  mysterious  treasure-cavern 
of  the  dead  kings  are  worth  many  millions  of 
dollars.  Anyway  the  prize  is  large  enough  to 
tempt  every  desperado  and  criminal  who  hears 
of  it  to  attempt  either  to  get  the  treasure  be- 
fore we  do  or  to  take  it  from  us  after  we  have 
secured  it,  no  matter  at  what  cost  of  blood- 
shed and  suffering.  So  you  see,  boys,  there 
is  need  of  us  all  to  guard  our  tongues,  and 
never  even  to  hint  of  the  cave  or  its  treasure 
to  any  one  whom  we  could  not  trust  with  our 
lives." 

"  You  don't  think  any  one  does  know  about 
the  treasure  cave — I  mean  any  one  whom  we 
should  not  like  to  know,  do  you,  Captain 
Kent?"  Harry's  face  became  very  sober  as 
he  put  the  question,  for  he  thought  there  was 
more  back  of  Captain  Kent's  manner  than  his 
words  had  yet  indicated. 

"  I  hardly  know  how  to  answer  you,  Harry," 
Captain  Kent  replied.  "  I  do  not  know  of 
anything  positive,  and  yet  certain  things  have 
happened  that  have  awakened  my  suspicions. 
I  am  quite  sure  that  I  have  been  shadowed 
for  the  past  month.  Why  ?  I  do  not  know, 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  113 

unless  it  is  by  some  one  who  has  heard  that  we 
are  to  go  in  search  of  treasure,  and  who 
wishes  to  follow  us  to  find  out  where  the 
treasure  is.  But  I  am  quite  sure  that  I  have 
thrown  him  off  the  trail.  Have  you  boys  any 
reasons  to  think  that  any  one  has  been  watch- 
ing you,  or  that  you  have  been  followed  to 
Lone  Hill  ranch?" 

"  Why,  I  never  thought  of  such  a  thing ! " 
and  Dick  stared  blankly  at  Captain  Kent 
"  And  I  never  took  the  least  notice ;  but  I 
don't  remember  of  seeing  any  one  who  acted 
as  if  he  was  at  all  interested  in  watching  our 
movements.  Do  you,  Harry?" 

"  No,"  responded  Harry,  "  except  the  man 
who  helped  us  fix  our  car  seats,  so  that  we 
could  sleep  more  comfortably,  the  first  night. 
Come  to  think  of  it,  he  was  a  bit  inquisitive. 
He  said  he  was  a  Methodist  minister,  going 
to  his  charge  somewhere  in  Kansas ;  and  he 
was  just  as  kind  and  as  pleasant  as  he  could 
be,  and  talked  and  acted  exactly  like  a  min- 
ister ;  and  Dick  and  I  talked  quite  a  little  with 
him,  and  told  him  where  we  were  going,  but 
we  did  not  say  a  word  about  the  cave  or  the 
treasure.  He  was  the  only  man  we  spoke 
more  than  two  words  to,  and  I  am  quite  sure 
he  was  a  minister  and  all  right.  Anyway,  he 


ii4  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

got  off  the  train  at  Kansas  City,  and  we  saw 
no  more  of  him.  You  don't  really  think  we 
were  followed,  and  that  some  one  is  going  tc 
try  and  rob  us  of  the  treasure,  do  you  ? "  and 
Harry's  face  showed  the  anxiety  he  felt. 

Captain  Kent  smiled.  "  I  fear  I  have  fright- 
ened you  boys  more  than  I  intended  to  ;  but 
I  thought  it  best  that  you  should  know  the 
kind  of  danger  that  threatened  us,  so  that  you 
could  be  on  your  guard.  No,  I  do  not  think 
we  have  been  followed  here ;  and,  if  we  have, 
I  am  quite  sure  we  shall  be  able  to  guard 
ourselves  and  the  treasure.  There,  we  have 
talked  long  enough.  Now  we  must  hurry 
back,  or  Loretta  will  have  some  remarks  to 
make  to  each  one  of  us.  Here  's  the  pack  I 
want,"  and  Captain  Kent  stooped  and  easily 
swung  one  of  the  coupled  packs  over  his 
shoulder.  "  I  have  a  few  little  things  in  here 
for  Loretta  and  her  father." 

Dick  glanced  quickly  at  Harry.  Harry 
nodded.  Then  Dick  said :  "  Captain  Kent, 
Harry  and  I  also  'have  a  few  little  things  for 
Loretta  and  her  father.'  Now,  don't  you 
think  it  would  be  a  good  plan  for  us  to  give 
the  presents  all  together?  You  know  the 
surprise  would  be  all  the  greater." 

"  Indeed,  I  do,"  responded   Captain  Kent, 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  115 

heartily.  "  Hurry  and  get  your  things.  I  '11 
wait  here  until  you  come  back,"  and,  dropping 
the  packs  from  his  shoulders,  he  seated  him- 
self in  the  opened  doorway  of  the  storeroom. 

Dick  and  Harry  started  on  the  run  for  the 
ranch-house,  which  was  situated  some  three 
rods  away  from  the  building  containing  the 
storeroom,  and  separated  from  it  by  a  long 
shed,  used  by  the  cook  as  a  summer  kitchen. 
As  the  boys  rushed  around  one  end  of  this 
shed  they  came  suddenly  upon  Black  Juan, 
the  Mexican,  and  one  of  the  mule-train  pack- 
ers talking  together.  Both  men  started  at  the 
sudden  appearance  of  the  boys  ;  but  Dick  and 
Harry  were  in  too  much  of  a  hurry  to  notice 
their  confusion,  and  never  thought  of  the  in- 
cident again  until  subsequent  events  recalled 
it  to  their  minds.  When  they  returned  the 
two  men  were  gone. 

Captain  Kent  and  Dick  and  Harry  now 
hurried  back  to  the  west  porch,  where  Loretta 
had  been  impatiently  awaiting  their  return. 
The  moment  she  saw  them  she  jumped  from 
her  father's  lap  and  ran  to  them. 

"  What  made  you  so  long  ?  Papa  was  about 
to  have  the  alarm  bell  rung.  We  thought 
something  terrible  must  have  happened.  Now, 
do  hurry  !  It  was  really  wicked  for  you  to 


u6  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

keep  me  waiting  so  long,"  and  her  eyes  danced 
with  excitement  as  she  glanced  from  the  packs 
hung  across  Captain  Kent's  shoulders  to  the 
bundles  in  Dick's  and  Harry's  arms.  "Please 
hurry.  Oh,  I  wonder  what  it  can  be !  Here, 
put  them  down  right  in  front  of  papa.  Now, 
I  '11  help  you,"  and  she  was  down  on  her  knees 
unfastening  the  packs  almost  as  soon  as  they 
touched  the  floor  of  the  porch  in  front  of  Abel 
Johnson's  chair ;  but,  even  as  her  nimble  fin- 
gers worked,  her  eyes  kept  glancing  upward 
at  the  parcels  held  in  Dick's  and  Harry's  hands. 
She  was  like  the  fabled  mule  between  the 
two  haystacks,  only  her  indecision  did  not  last 
as  long.  Suddenly,  giving  the  tightly  drawn 
knot,  which  she  had  been  vainly  trying  to 
untie,  an  impatient  jerk,  she  jumped  to  her 
feet.  "  I  think  you  are  just  mean,  Captain 
Kent ! "  she  cried.  "  I  know  you  tied  these 
knots  so  hard  on  purpose  to  bother  me ;  so 
I  '11  let  you  untie  them  yourself.  Now,"  and 
she  turned  quickly  to  Dick,  "what  have  you 
got  in  that  big  package  you  are  hugging  so 
tightly  ?  O  dear !  can't  you  see  I  am  almost 
dying  to  know  ?  Is  it  for  me  ?  " 

Dick  blushed  and  laughed.  "  It  says  '  For 
Miss  Loretta  Johnson';  but  I  wish  to  be  sure 
you  are  that  young  lady  before  I  give  it  up," 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  117 

and  Dick  held  the  package  tantalizingly  above 
his  head.  "  Now,  please  prove  it 's  your 
property." 

For  answer  Loretta  gave  a  merry  shout  and 
a  quick  spring,  and  the  package  was  in  her 
hands  before  the  astonished  boy  knew  what 
she  was  doing.  Then  she  threw  herself  down 
on  the  floor,  and,  holding  the  parcel  in  her 
lap,  began  eagerly  tearing  off  the  papers  in 
which  it  was  wrapped.  The  first  covering  off 
brought  to  view  a  pasteboard  box  that  looked 
suspiciously  like  a  shoe  box. 

"  Shoes,  as  sure  as  shootin' ! "  exclaimed 
Abel  Johnson,  laughing  loudly. 

"  No,  it 's  another  package  ! "  Loretta  cried, 
as  she  tore  off  the  cover  of  the  box,  and  ex- 
posed a  neatly-done-up  parcel,  which  fitted 
tightly  in  the  shoe  box.  In  a  moment  the  box 
was  thrown  aside  and  her  fingers  were  busy 
with  the  strings  wrapped  around  the  second 
bundle.  "  O  dear  !  I  can't  bother  to  untie 
them  !  Give  me  your  knife,  papa  !  "  and  with 
flushed  face  and  sparkling  eyes  the  excited 
girl  cut  the  strings  and  tore  off  the  paper,  only 
to  find  another  bundle  carefully  tied  with  many 
cords.  In  another  moment  the  strings  were 
cut,  and  this  covering  had  gone  to  join  the 
pile  of  paper  that  was  fast  accumulating  by 


n8  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Loretta's  side,  and  she  found  in  her  hands  a 
neatly  wrapped  parcel  of  about  the  size  and 
shape  of  a  cigar  box. 

"  Smokes  for  your  father  !  Well,  that  was 
good  of  you,  Dick.  Hand  them  over,  Lo- 
retta,"  and,  with  his  great  sunburnt  face  twin- 
kling all  over  with  smiles,  Abel  Johnson  reached 
down  for  the  box. 

"  No,  it 's  not  cigars  !  I  know  it 's  not 
cigars!  It's  for  me!  Oh,  what  can  it  be? 
You  naughty,  naughty  boy ! "  and,  with  a  re- 
proachful glance  at  Dick,  she  quickly  cut  the 
strings  and  tore  off  the  paper. 

It  was  a  cigar  box  ! 

Abel  Johnson  roared  with  laughter,  Captain 
Kent  and  Harry  looked  surprised,  Dick  un- 
comfortable, and  tears  came  into  the  eyes  of 
Loretta.  Then  she  saw  that  the  cigar  box 
had  been  opened ,  and  the  next  moment  her 
fingers  were  tearing  off  the  thin  cover  of  wood 
with  feverish  haste,  and  with  a  glad  cry  she 
pulled  out  another  package,  very  prettily 
wrapped  in  pink  paper. 

"  I  told  you  it  was  not  cigars ! "  she  cried, 
holding  up  the  parcel  triumphantly.  "  Oh, 
what  can  it  be  ?  " 

In  a  moment  her  trembling  fingers  had  cut 
the  strings  and  had  carefully  taken  off  the  pink 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  119 

paper,  and  a  richly  ornamented  leather  case, 
about  four  inches  square,  lay  in  her  hands. 
The  case  was  locked,  and  fastened  to  it  was  a 
small  silver  key.  With  trembling  fingers  Lo- 
retta  inserted  the  key  in  the  lock,  turned  it, 
and  the  case  flew  open ;  and  the  daintiest, 
prettiest,  little  gold  watch  that  money  could 
buy  lay  nestling  in  the  softest  of  silk  beneath 
her  delighted  eyes ;  and  fastened  to  the  watch 
was  a  long,  beautiful  gold  chain. 

For  a  minute,  so  great  was  her  surprise  and 
pleasure,  Loretta  could  not  speak  a  word — 
could  only  sit  and  look  with  shining  eyes  at 
the  beautiful  gift ;  and  then  the  impulsive  girl 
jumped  to  her  feet  and  threw  her  arms  around 
Dick's  neck,  and  thanked  him  in  a  way  that, 
while  it  left  no  doubt  in  his  mind  about  the 
gift  pleasing,  was  the  source  of  considerable 
embarrassment  to  that  young  gentleman. 

By  this  time  Captain  Kent  had  removed  the 
outer  coverings  of  the  two  packs  and  was 
slowly  unwrapping  what  proved  to  be  a  most 
beautiful  and  richly  ornamented  saddle  and 
bridle,  with  all  the  accompanying  equipments 
complete.  This  saddle  and  bridle  Captain 
Kent  had  had  made  to  order,  especially  to  fit 
Bonny  Bess  and  to  please  Loretta;  and  when 
Loretta  saw  them,  for  the  moment  even  her 


I2o  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

beautiful  watch  was  forgotten,  so  delighted 
was  she  with  these  gifts  for  her  loved  pony. 

"Oh,  but  won't  Bonny  Bess  be  proud  !"  she 
exclaimed,  as  she  fingered  the  saddle  and  bridle 
lovingly. 

At  this  moment  Harry  plucked  up  courage 
to  thrust  into  her  hands  a  small  package  that, 
apparently,  was  causing  him  great  uneasiness, 
judging  from  the  way  he  had  been  passing  it 
from  one  hand  to  the  other. 

"  I  hope  this  will  please  you,  Loretta.  I 
thought — I — I — "  Harry  stammered  and  grew 
red  in  the  face,  something  very  unusual  for 
him. 

"  Oh,  I  know  it  will,"  Loretta  cried,  quickly 
coming  to  his  rescue,  as  she  took  the  package. 
"  I  know  it  will  please  me.  I  wonder  what 
it  is?" 

"  Let  us  all  guess,"  suggested  Captain  Kent, 
smiling,  "  and  the  one  who  guesses  right  is  to 
have  the  use  of  it  for  the  first  week.  Here, 
let  me  have  a  feel  of  it,  and  I  '11  quickly  tell 
you  whether  it  is  a  horse  and  carriage  or  a 
city  house  and  lot,"  and  he  reached  forth  his 
hand,  as  if  to  take  the  parcel. . 

Loretta  laughed  merrily  and  pushed  his 
hand  away.  "  Oh,  I  could  n't  wait.  I  must  see 
what  is  in  it  this  very  minute,"  and  she  began 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  121 

excitedly  to  cut  the  strings  and  to  unwrap  the 
paper. 

It  was  a  box  of  candy  ! 

"  I  'm  very  hungry,"  Dick  said,  smiling 
amusedly  at  the  blank  look  of  disappointment 
that  passed  over  Loretta's  face,  in  spite  of 
her  utmost  efforts,  when  she  saw  the  candy. 
"  Won't  you  give  a  fellow  some  of  that  candy? 
It  looks  good  enough  to  eat." 

"  Of  course  I  will,"  and  Loretta  passed  the 
box  of  candy  to  Dick.  "  And — and  it  was 
awful  good  of  you  to  remember  my  sweet 
tooth,  Harry." 

Dick  took  the  box  and  unconcernedly  helped 
himself  to  nearly  all  the  candy  in  the  first 
layer  of  the  box,  which  was  separated  from 
the  next  layer  by  a  thin  sheet  of  white  paper. 
"  I  just  love  chocolate  creams,"  he  said,  as  he 
handed  the  box  back. 

"  Well,  I  should  think  you  did  ! "  Loretta 
exclaimed,  indignantly,  as  she  raised  the  thin 
sheet  of  paper  to  get  at  the  second  layer  of 
candy.  "  I— Oh  !  O-O-Oh  ! "  and  the  surprise 
and  delight  pictured  on  her  face  were  good  to 
see.  And  no  wonder ;  for  there,  lying  on  a 
soft  cushion  of  pink  silk  in  the  bottom  of  the 
supposed  candy  box,  glowed  a  beautiful  neck- 
lace of  pearls,  with  a  small  gold  locket  pendant 


122  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

from  the  chain.  With  hands  trembling  with 
excitement  Loretta  lifted  the  necklace  from 
the  box  and  held  it  up  where  all  could  see. 

"Put  it  on!  Put  it  on,  Loretta!"  urged 
her  father,  who  was  almost  as  much  excited  as 
the  girl.  "  It  looks  fit  for  a  queen  ;  an',  if  it 
is,  it  is  none  too  good  for  my  little  gal.  Put 
it  on." 

Loretta  raised  the  necklace  above  her  flushed 
face  and  gently  let  it  fall  around  her  neck. 
The  locket  now  rested  on  her  bosom,  and,  in 
a  moment,  her  curious  fingers  had  opened  it. 
From  one  side  smiled  up  at  her  the  pictured 
face  of  Dick  and  from  the  other  the  face  of 
Harry. 

"  Oh,  you  dear  boys  !  "  and  she  impulsively 
kissed  the  pictured  face  of  each.  "  I  don't 
know  how  I  can  ever,  ever  thank  you  and 
Captain  Kent ! " 

"  Well,"  responded  Captain  Kent,  "  it  has 
been  thanks  enough  for  me,  as  I  am  sure  it 
has  been  for  Dick  and  Harry,  just  to  have 
seen  the  joy  light  up  your  face.  I  don't  know 
when  I  have  had  anything  make  me  feel  so 
warm  and  pleasant  around  the  heart.  But  I 
see  Harry  has  another  package.  What  is  it 
this  time  ?  A  piano  ?  " 

"  No,"  Harry  answered,  smiling,  "  it  is  some- 


The  Pack-Mule  Train  123 

thing  from  Dick  and  me  to  Abel  Johnson," 
and  he  handed  the  parcel  to  Loretta's  father. 

"Hi,  ho,  little  gal!  You're  not  th'  only 
bronco  in  this  corral ! "  Abel  Johnson  laughed, 
as  he  took  the  package.  "  I  'm  in  th'  bunch, 
too,"  and  he  began  eagerly  to  undo  the  parcel. 
"  By  th'  great  horned  buffalo,  you  've  hit  my 
likes  plumb  in  th'  centre,  boys  ! "  and  he  held 
up  a  broad  strong  belt  of  leather,  containing  a 
couple  of  beautiful  ivory-handled  revolvers,  the 
best  and  the  most  serviceable  that  could  be 
bought.  On  the  butt  of  one  of  the  weapons 
were  engraved  the  words  "  FROM  DICK,"  and  on 
the  butt  of  the  other,  "  FROM  HARRY."  "  You 
couldn't  have  got  anything  that  would  have 
pleased  me  better,  an'  that's  th'  truth,"  and 
Abel  Johnson  gripped  the  hands  of  the  boys 
and  shook  them  warmly. 

For  a  couple  of  hours  or  more  Abel  John- 
son and  Loretta  and  Captain  Kent  and  the 
two  boys  sat  on  the  porch  and  talked  ;  and 
when  at  last  Dick  and  Harry  reached  their 
room  and  bed,  it  was  to  find  Bill  Burke  still  in 
his  bunk  and  sound  asleep.  He  had  not  been 
out  of  the  room.  Both  boys  laughed,  but  they 
did  not  disturb  the  tired  negro ;  and  in  a 
short  time  the  two  lads  had  followed  him  into 
the  land  of  dreams. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

BLACK   JUAN    RIDES    TO    EL    MORO 

THE  next  morning  Abel  Johnson  and  Cap- 
tain Kent  and  Cowboy  Jim  and  Dick  and 
Harry  met  in  secret  council,  to  determine  when 
the  start  for  the  mountains  and  the  hermit's 
treasure  cave  should  be  made,  and  to  consider 
other  matters  of  moment. 

It  was  now  Wednesday,  and  Friday  would 
be  the  Fourth  of  July,  the  day  of  the  Great 
Celebration  at  Lone  Hill  ranch.  Of  course 
the  expedition  could  not  start  until  after  the 
"  big  blowout " ;  for  it  had  been  gotten  up 
especially  in  honor  of  Dick  and  Harry.  Cow- 
boys were  coming  from  all  the  neighboring 
ranches,  for  thirty  miles  around,  and  a  glorious 
time  was  expected,  notwithstanding  the  loss  of 
the  fireworks.  No,  it  would  not  do  for  Dick 
and  Harry  to  miss  this  scene  of  how  the  West 
amuses  itself.  Then  Abel  Johnson  needed  a 
little  more  time  to  make  his  preparations,  and 
to  arrange  for  his  absence  from  the  ranch. 


Black  Juan  Rides  to  El  Moro         125 

But  by  the  following  Monday,  it  was  calculated, 
everything  could  be  in  readiness  for  the  start ; 
and  the  morning  of  that  day  was  finally  fixed 
on  as  the  date  of  departure  from  the  ranch. 

Captain  Kent  reported  that,  on  his  way  to  the 
ranch,  he  had  met  a  troop  of  U.  S.  cavalry,  and 
had  been  told  that  they  were  after  Running 
Bear  and  his  warriors,  or  any  other  Indians 
who  threatened  the  lives  or  the  property  of 
the  whites  in  this  section  of  the  country  ;  so  he 
thought  there  was  little  chance  of  their  having 
any  trouble  with  the  Indians.  Captain  Kent 
then  spoke  of  the  danger  from  white  robbers 
and  desperadoes,  and  the  need  of  the  utmost 
caution  and  secrecy.  It  was  here,  he  thought, 
that  their  real  peril  lay ;  for,  once  let  it  be  known 
that  they  were  in  search  of  treasure  worth  mil- 
lions of  dollars,  and  it  would  take  a  regiment 
of  U.  S.  soldiers  to  guard  them  from  the  bands 
of  cutthroats  that  would  organize  to  rob  them. 
This  made  it  necessary  that  the  real  purpose 
of  the  expedition  should  be  kept  a  profound 
secret.  They  were  going  to  the  mountains  on 
a  big  hunt — where  it  would  be  impossible  to 
take  wagons  with  them,  hence  the  need  of  the 
pack-mules  to  carry  their  camp  equipments  and 
supplies — after  bears  and  elks  and  mountain 
lions  and  deer,  and  to  give  Dick  and  Harry  a 


126  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

taste  of  the  sport  to  be  found  in  the  great 
West,  and  a  chance  to  experience  the  pleasures 
and  hardships  of  outdoor  life.  This  was  all 
that  any  one  who  was  not  in  the  secret  needed 
to  know ;  and  it  was  agreed  to  talk  all  they 
pleased  about  the  big  hunt,  but  never  to  men- 
tion the  cave  and  its  treasure  until  the  spot 
was  reached. 

As  the  council  was  about  to  adjourn  Loretta 
knocked  at  the  door,  and  said  that  Black  Juan, 
the  Mexican,  wished  to  speak  with  Cowboy  Jim 
or  Abel  Johnson. 

"  Well,  I  reckon  we  Ve  done  about  all  that 
talkin'  can  do,"  Abel  Johnson  remarked,  "an' 
I  propose  that  this  meetin'  adjourn,  an'  I  '11  go 
out  an'  see  what  th'  critter  wants.  Come  along, 
Cowboy  Jim,"  and  he  and  Cowboy  Jim  left  the 
room. 

They  found  the  Mexican  standing  on  the 
east  porch.  The  moment  he  saw  the  two  men 
he  doffed  his  sombrero  and  smiled  pleasantly. 

"  You  wished  to  see  me.  What  can  I  do  for 
you?"  Abel  Johnson  asked. 

14 1  your  permission  seek  to  ride  to  El  Moro 
to-day,"  answered  the  Mexican.  "I  to  a 
friend  a  letter  would  send  to  tell  him  of  my 
good  fortune.  I  wish  a  new  rope  to  purchase, 
with  which  to  learn  if  the  vaqueros  of  Colorado 


Black  Juan  Rides  to  El  Moro        127 

more  skilful  are  than  those  of  Mexico.  I  am 
told  that  an  opportunity  will  be  given  to  all  to 
try  their  skill  on  Friday,  when  you  your  great 
nation's  birthday  are  to  celebrate,  and  that  I 
then  the  feats  of  your  greatest  vaqueros  shall 
have  the  honor  of  witnessing.  I,  too,  a  rope 
would  throw  and  ride  a  horse  for  the  glory  of 
old  Mexico  ;  and  I  to  El  Moro  would  go  to 
buy  me  a  new  rope  for  the  occasion,"  and  he 
bowed  and  smiled,  first  to  Abel  Johnson  and 
then  to  Cowboy  Jim.  "  I,  also,  a  saddle  and 
clothes  more  fitting  would  buy.  I  would  ride 
to  El  Moro  to-day  for  these  purposes,  with 
your  permission,  sefior,"  and  he  bowed  to  Abel 
Johnson. 

The  ranchman  laughed.  "  No  need  of  throw- 
in'  so  much  rope  here,  Mexico,"  he  said.  "  It 
don't  take  no  such  string  of  words  to  reach  me 
an'  Cowboy  Jim.  I  take  it  that  you  want  to 
ride  one  of  my  broncos  to  El  Moro  to-day  ?  " 

"  With  your  permission,  senor." 

"  Well,  I  would  n't  give  much  for  your  hide  if 
you  tried  it  without.  When  will  you  get  back  ?  " 

"  Before  for  the  night  the  lights  are  out." 

"  Do  you  know  the  way  ?  " 

"  The  trail  a  tenderfoot  could  follow." 

"  Good.  You  may  go,  Mexico  ;  an'  if  you  '11 
take  th'  conceit  out  of  this  feller  here  next 


128  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Friday  with  that  new  rope  of  yourn,  you  '11  win 
th'  best  rifle  that  money  can  buy,"  and  Abel 
Johnson  turned  and  slapped  Cowboy  Jim  on 
the  back,  with  his  hand,  in  a  manner  that 
showed  plainer  than  any  words  could  tell  that 
he  did  not  believe  the  Mexican  had  yet  been 
born  who  could  win  such  laurels.  "You  can 
tell  Red  Hank  to  give  you  Hindfoot  for  your 
ride.  He  's  no  great  sight  to  look  at,  but  he 's 
one  of  th'  speediest  an'  toughest  ponies  on  th' 
ranch.  An'  hark  you,  Mexico,  if  Hindfoot 
pleases,  you  can  have  him  for  one  of  your  cow- 
ponies,  an'  if  at  th'  end  of  six  months  you  please 
me  he 's  yours  for  keeps.  Now  you  'd  better 
get  for  El  Moro,  so  as  to  be  there  before  th' 
sun  is  hot,  an'  you  'd  better  start  on  th'  back- 
trail  about  four  o'clock." 

Black  Juan  was  all  smiles  and  bows.  "  I 
thank  you,  seftor.  I  quickly  will  go.  I  your 
words  will  remember.  I  the  rifle  will  not 
forget  and,  if  fortune  is  kind,  it  will  be  mine 
next  Friday.  But,  quien  sabef  I  the  skill 
may  not  have  of  your  Colorado  vaquero,"  and 
he  bowed  to  Cowboy  Jim.  "But,  for  the 
glory  of  old  Mexico,  I  the  rope  would  throw 
and  ride  the  horse  with  you  Americanos. 
Again  I  thank  you,  sefior,  for  your  permission 
and  for  the  strong  horse.  I  go,"  and,  with  a 


Black  Juan  Rides  to  El  Moro        129 

profound  bow,  the  Mexican  hurried  away  to 
get  his  horse. 

"  Thunder,  but  I  'm  feelin'  like  a  Spanish 
grandee,"  laughed  Abel  Johnson,  puffing  out 
his  great  chest  and  throwing  back  his  head. 
44  If  he  's  as  slick  with  that  new  rope  as  he  is 
with  that  old  tongue  of  his,  he  '11  get  that  rifle 
next  Friday,  as  sure  as  shootin',  an'  you  '11  get 
th'  defeat  of  your  life,  Cowboy  Jim,  an' by  a 
Mexican  !"  and  he  again  slapped  Cowboy  Jim 
on  the  back  by  way  of  showing  his  utter  dis- 
belief in  the  possibility  of  such  an  event 


occurring. 


44  There  's  too  much  grease  on  th'  rope  he 
throws,"  Cowboy  Jim  grumbled,  his  eyes  on 
the  retreating  form  of  the  Mexican,  4t  an'  I 
can't  make  out  his  brand  clear.  Leastwise  it 
had  a  different  look  to-day  than  what  it  had 
when  I  first  met  him.  Then  he  was  as  sour  as 
an  old  vinegar  jug,  an'  now  he 's  all  smiles  an' 
bows.  Well,  a  Mexican  is  a  Mexican,  an'  God 
alone  knows  what  He  ever  made  them  for. 
Howsomever,  I  don  't  anticipate  he  '11  handle 
that  rifle  none.  Leastwise  if  he  does  I  '11  agree 
to  eat  coyote  for  a  week,  hide,  hair,  and  all," 
and  the  disgusted  cowboy  hurried  away  to  the 
quarters  of  the  men  to  attend  to  his  varied 
duties  as  ranch-foreman. 


130  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Abel  Johnson  returned  to  Captain  Kent  ; 
and  Dick  and  Harry  and  Loretta,  followed  by 
Bill  Burke  proudly  carrying  the  new  saddle  and 
bridle,  hastened  to  the  stable  of  Bonny  Bess ; 
"just  to  see  what  she  thinks  of  Captain  Kent's 
gift,"  Loretta  said,  her  face  glowing  with  the  an- 
ticipated pleasure  of  a  ride  on  the  new  saddle. 

In  the  meantime  the  Mexican  had  mounted 
Hindfoot,  and  was  now  riding  away  from  the 
ranch,  on  his  way  to  El  Moro.  The  morning 
was  clear  and  cool,  with  a  light  breeze,  fragrant 
with  the  scent  of  flowers  blowing  across  the 
plain  ;  and  even  Black  Juan  felt  the  exhilarat- 
ing influences  of  the  pure  air  and  the  bright 
sunshine,  for,  as  he  rode,  he  sang  snatches  of 
love  songs,  and  threw  back  his  head  and  joy- 
ously drank  in  long  breaths  of  the  sweet  air,  as 
if  they  were  drafts  of  the  elixir  of  life,  as,  in- 
deed, they  were.  He  rode  swiftly,  and  soon 
reached  the  entrance  to  Third  Pass.  Here  he 
pulled  up  his  bronco,  placed  two  of  his  fingers 
in  his  mouth,  and  whistled  shrilly.  Then  he 
rode  slowly  on  into  the  pass.  When  about 
half-way  through  the  pass  he  again  stopped  and 
again  whistled  loudly.  This  time  the  whistle 
was  answered.  Black  Juan  smiled,  and,  set- 
tling himself  down  comfortably  in  his  saddle, 
waited.  In  two  minutes  a  man  emerged  from 


Black  Juan  Rides  to  El  Moro        131 

behind  a  rock  a  little  distance  up  the  pass,  and 
hastened  toward  the  Mexican,  who  laughed 

o 

softly  as  he  watched  his  approach.  Just  before 
reaching  the  Mexican,  the  man  stopped  and 
stared  at  him  blankly. 

"  What 's  the  trouble,  Spike  ? "  inquired 
Black  Juan.  "  A  sudden  twinge  of  rheum- 
atism ?  You  walk  as  if  you  had  an  ox-bow  for 
a  backbone,"  and  again  the  Mexican  laughed. 

"  Well,  I  am  euchred,  if  I  did  n't  take  you 
for  a  Greaser,  Cap  ! "  exclaimed  the  man, 
*'  till  I  heard  your  voice.  You  look  one,  as 
natural  and  as  big  as  life." 

"  You  're  not  the  first  man,  Spike  Smith,  to 
express  that  identical  opinion  of  me,"  smiled 
Black  Juan.  "And  for  the  time  being  I  am 
Black  Juan,  a.  Mexican  vaquero,  recently  from 
New  Mexico,  and  now  a  cowboy  on  the  ranch 
of  Abel  Johnson.  But,  you  have  n't  told  me 
what  your  trouble  is  ?  You  stand  as  if  you  had 
a  red-hot  poker  run  down  your  back,  and  your 
face  looks  as  if  somebody  had  been  trying  to 
make  a  map  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  on  it — 
all  done  in  black  and  blue." 

Spike  Smith  swore.  "Well,  Cap,  me  and 
Long  Ben  played  the  funny  business  with 
cards  once  too  often,  at  El  Moro,  day  be- 
fore yesterday,"  he  explained,  disgustedly  and 


132  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

wrathfully,  "  and  we  got  run  out  of  town  by  a 
pack  of  devilish  cowboys,  who  lashed  us  with 
their  cow-quirts  until  there  ain't  a  sound  square 
inch  of  hide  on  our  backs ;  and  walloped  us 
over  our  faces  until  the  skin  hung  in  ribbons. 
Long  Ben  's  completely  done  up,  and  won't 
be  fit  for  nothin'  for  a  week.  If  ever  I  set 
eyes  on  that  infernal  cowboy  who  gave  the 
game  away,  and  held  me  up  at  the  point  of  his 
six-shooter,  there  '11  be  a  grave  needed  mighty 
sudden,"  and  Spike  Smith 's  eyes  glowed,  and 
his  swollen  face  flushed  a  deeper  red. 

Black  Juan  laughed.  "  If  you  're  hankering 
bad  for  a  sight  of  that  identical  cowboy,"  he 
said,  "just  take  my  back-trail.  'Twill  lead 
you  straight  to  him.  He  's  the  foreman  on 
the  ranch  where  I  work.  But  you  'd  better  be 
mighty  careful  or 't  will  be  Spike  Smith  that  '11 
be  planted  in  the  grave  that  '11  be  needed  so 
sudden.  He's  quicker  than  chain  lightning 
with  them  guns  of  his." 

Spike  Smith  stared  in  astonishment  at  the 
speaker.  Then  he  swore,  by  way  of  easing  a 
little  his  wrath  and  astonishment.  Then  he 
exclaimed  :  "  Well,  I  am  a  son  of  a  Cochin- 
China  rooster,  if  you  ain  't  the  identical 
Greaser  that  was  with  them  two  cowboys  !  I 
remember  you  now ;  and  the  two  kids  ;  and 


Black  Juan  Rides  to  El  Moro        133 

the  grinning  nigger.  Well,  I  '11  be  blowed  ! 
So  you  saw  it  all,  Cap  ?  " 

"Yes.  And  now  to  business.  If  things 
turn  out  the  way  I  hope,  you  '11  have  a  chance 
to  even  things  up  with  that  cowboy,  and  I  '11 
settle  some  old  scores  with  Captain  Kent  and 
the  two  kids ;  so  just  hold  your  temper  until 
the  proper  time  comes.  We're  playing  for 
higher  stakes.  Now  listen,"  and  Black  Juan 
lowered  his  voice,  until  he  spoke  almost  in  a 
whisper,  as  if  he  were  afraid  that  the  very 
rocks  around  him  had  ears,  and  might  hear 
and  repeat  his  words. 

At  the  end  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  two 
men  separated.  Spike  Smith  vanished  among 
the  rocks  whence  he  came,  and  Black  Juan  con- 
tinued on  his  way  to  El  Moro.  There  was  a 
look  of  satisfaction  on  the  face  of  Spike  Smith  ; 
and  Black  Juan  smiled  and  laughed  softly  to 
himself,  but  his  smile  was  not  a  pleasant  one 
to  see  nor  the  laugh  a  kindly  one  to  hear. 

When  Black  Juan  returned  to  Lone  Hill 
ranch  that  night  Hindfoot  wore  a  brand-new 
saddle  and  bridle,  both  of  Mexican  workman- 
ship, and  the  new  lasso  hung  to  the  pommel  of 
the  saddle,  while  a  large  bundle  held  the  com- 
plete outfit,  from  boots  to  hat,  of  a  Mexican 
vaquero. 


134  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  Well,  Mexico  is  bound  to  throw  a  little 
style  on  th'  Fourth,  if  he  can't  throw  anythin' 
else,"  remarked  one  of  the  cowboys,  as  he 
critically  examined  the  new  outfit.  "  An'  I 
sabe  he  's  no  tenderfoot.  I  could  n't  a  done 
better  myself.  That  rope  has  got  just  th' 
right  feel  to  it,"  and  he  uncoiled  the  lariat, 
and,  whirling  it  quickly  about  his  head,  deftly 
cast  the  noose  around  the  neck  of  Bill  Burke, 
who  stood,  grinning,  a  little  distance  away. 
With  a  hideous  yell  the  sportive  cowboy  gave 
the  rope  a  quick  jerk  and  drew  the  noose  tight. 

If  the  act  was  meant  for  fun,  Bill  Burke  did 
not  seem  to  see  the  fun  ;  but  he  did  feel  the  rope 
and  see  the  cowboy  jerking  at  the  other  end 
of  it,  while,  doubtless,  visions  of  himself  yanked 
about  over  the  ground  by  these  wild  men  of 
the  plains  flashed  through  his  head — There 
was  a  sudden  slack  in  the  taut  lasso,  and  the 
astonished  cowboy  beheld  a  black  catapult 
hurling  itself  straight  at  him,  and  the  next  in- 
stant he  felt  as  if  a  cannon  ball  had  struck  him 
in  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  and,  with  a  grunt 
that  could  be  heard  for  rods,  he  was  lifted  off 
his  feet  and  landed  sprawling  on  his  back  on 
the  hard  ground,  where  he  lay  for  a  full  min- 
ute doubled  up  in  the  agony  of  an  almost  vain 
effort  to  get  his  breath  back  again. 


Black  Juan  Rides  to  El  Moro         135 

Bill  Burke  shook  his  woolly  head  ram-like, 
as  he  tore  the  rope  from  around  his  neck,  and 
glared  at  the  squirming  cowboy.  "  I  's  no  long- 
ho'ned  steer ! "  he  exclaimed  wrathfully.  "  I 's  a 
'sepstable  colo'ed  gemmen  ;  an'  I  's  gwine  to 
stand  fo'  no  sech  tomfoolin's,"  and  shaking  his 
head,  and  rolling  his  eyes,  and  wrinkling  his 
face,  and  muttering  indignantly  to  himself  Bill 
Burke  retreated  into  the  house,  away  from  the 
yelling  cowboys,  who,  as  soon  as  they  had 
recovered  from  the  astonishment  caused  by 
the  negro's  unexpected  coup  de  main,  tumbled 
all  over  themselves  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight 
over  the  sudden  and  complete  discomfiture  of 
the  would-be-smart  cowboy.  No  one  could 
possibly  enjoy  a  scene  of  this  kind  more  than 
these  rough  knights  of  the  plains,  who  fully 
appreciated  the  poetic  justice  of  the  negro's 
effective  head-work  ;  and  from  that  moment 
on  Bill  Burke  was  a  persona  grata,  as  the 
diplomats  say,  with  the  cowboys  of  the  Lone 
Hill  ranch. 

"  Well,  I  reckon  Mexico  calculates  to  do  all 
th'  shinin'  for  th'  Lone  Hill  ranch  on  th' 
Fourth,"  Cowboy  Jim  reported  to  Abel  John- 
son later  that  night.  "  Leastwise  he 's  got  an 
outfit  that  would  knock  th'  horns  off  a  two- 
year-old  steer ;  an'  he  brought  back  with  him 


136  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

a  jug  of  tonsil  varnish  an'  he 's  paintin'  th' 
boys'  insides  right  now  an'  makin'  himself  so 
agreeable  that  I  anticipate  they  fancy  he 's  th' 
greatest  that  ever  happened  in  these  parts. 
But  I  can't  cotton  to  him.  His  eyes  make 
me  think  of  snakes.  I  guess  it  is  just  because 
I  don't  like  Mexicans  nohow." 

"If  he  can  ride  a  horse,  an'  rope  a  steer, 
an  '11  do  his  work,  I  can  stand  th'  rest,"  laughed 
Abel  Johnson.  "  How 's  things  lookin'  for  th' 
Fourth  ?  We  don  't  want  no  failure." 

"  There  won't  be  none,"  replied  Cowboy 
Jim  enthusiastically.  "Th'  cowboys  are  com- 
in'  from  every  ranch  within  thirty  miles,  an' 
-we  've  got  a  programme  that  '11  keep  things 
boilin'  right  along.  It's  all  writ  down,  an' 
I  '11  read  it  to  you,  if  you  wish." 

"  All  right.  Come  in  where  there 's  a  light," 
and  the  two  men  went  into  the  house,  where 
they  sat  for  an  hour  or  more  talking  over  the 
programme  and  planning  how  best  to  entertain 
their  guests  on  the  great  day. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

COWBOY    JIM'S   CANNON 

« 

THE  day  before  the  Fourth  was  a  very 
busy  day  at  the  Lone  Hill  ranch. 
Preparations  had  to  be  made  for  the  physical 
entertainment  of  a  hundred  or  more  men. 
Several  fat  steers  were  roped  and  butchered 
and  prepared  for  barbecuing,  while  the  great 
oven  in  the  kitchen  was  kept  red-hot  all  day 
with  the  baking  of  the  various  kinds  of  breads 
and  pastries  which  the  skill  of  the  cook  and 
the  material  at  hand  enabled  that  worthy  to 
concoct.  Then,  there  was  the  ground  to  pre- 
pare and  measure  for  the  various  races  and 
games  and  contests  that  were  scheduled  to 
take  place.  But  when  night  came,  Cowboy 
Jim,  who,  with  the  advice  and  assistance 
of  Abel  Johnson  and  Captain  Kent,  not  to 
mention  Loretta  and  Dick  and  Harry,  had 
superintended  the  work,  reported  everything 
"  corralled  an'  dcuble-cinched  an'  ready  to  be 
turned  loose  at  daybreak." 


138  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"I  do  hope  it  won't  rain  to-morrow,"  Harry 
said,  as  he  seated  himself  on  the  porch  by  the 
side  of  Loretta  and  Dick  that  night  after 
supper.  "  Back  in  Wisconsin  it  'most  always 
rains  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  or  whenever  we 
plan  to  have  an  extra  good  time.  If  it  rains 
to-morrow  it  will  spoil  nearly  all  the  fun." 

"  Oh,  did  you  see  Black  Juan  out  practising 
to-day?"  broke  in  Dick.  "  I  did.  It  was  out 
back  of  the  big  corral.  He  was  trying  his  new 
horse  and  saddle  and  rope.  My,  but  he  can 
ride  and  throw  the  rope  !  I  saw  him  drop  his 
glove  and  pick  it  up  while  going  at  full  speed  ; 
and  he  caught  a  running  steer  around  both 
front  legs  at  the  first  throw  of  his  rope.  Even 
Red  Hank  says  he  '11  give  Cowboy  Jim  a 
mighty  close  tussle  to-morrow.  You  know 
they  are  both  in  the  roping  and  tying  contest ; 
and  I  am  sure  the  Mexican  expects  to  defeat 
Cowboy  Jim " 

"  Well,  he  won't,"  interrupted  Loretta, 
positively  and  a  bit  indignantly.  "  Cowboy 
Jim  can  rope  and  throw  and  tie  a  steer  quicker 
than  any  other  cowboy  alive ;  and  he 's  the 
best  horseback  rider  in  Colorado.  Papa  says 
so,  and  he  knows.  I  '11  bet  Dutch  could  beat 
that  Mexican,  in  spite  of  his  new  saddle  and 
fine  clothes.  Just  you  wait  and  see  where  he 


Cowboy  Jim's  Cannon  139 

is  when  Cowboy  Jim  gets  through  with  him," 
and  she  gave  her  head  a  defiant  toss. 

"  There,  now,  Loretta,  that  '11  do,"  and  Cow- 
boy Jim  stepped  out  of  the  door,  where  he 
had  been  standing  unseen  long  enough  to 
overhear  the  words  of  his  little  champion.  "  I 
am  plumb  conceited  already  ;  an'  if  I  don't 
defeat  that  Mexican  to-morrow  with  them 
words  of  yourn  a-ringin'  in  my  ears,  I'll 
deserve  to  be  run  off  th'  ranch  on  a  jack- 
rabbit.  Now,  Dick,  I  want  you  to  do 
something  for  me  to-morrow.  Will  you  ?  " 

"  Gladly,  if  I  can,"  Dick  replied,  promptly. 

"  I  want  you  to  ride  Sambo  in  th'  four-mile 
runnin'  race.  You  're  lighter  than  I  am  by 
some  odd  thirty  pounds,  an'  you  know  Sambo, 
an'  Sambo  knows  you ;  an'  thirty  pounds 
would  win  or  lose  a  race  for  that  distance. 
Th'  boys  of  th'  Bar  Double  S  outfit  think  they 
have  got  a  horse  that's  goin'  to  throw  dust 
into  Sambo's  face,  an'  I  just  naturally  want 
Sambo  to  do  all  th'  dust  throwin',  but  I  'm 
afeard  I  'm  too  heavy  for  that  distance.  Will 
you  ride  Sambo  for  me,  Dick?" 

Dick's  face  flushed  with  pleasure  and  excite- 
ment. He  understood  and  appreciated  the 
compliment  that  had  been  paid  to  his  grit  and 
horsemanship.  A  cowboy  prizes  his  horse 


140  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

above  all  his  earthly  possessions.  It  is  the 
one  thing  about  which  he  will  stand  no  fool- 

o 

ing.  And  to  be  asked  by  the  best  cowboy  on 
the  ranch  to  ride  his  own  horse,  and  that  horse 
Sambo,  in  the  most  important  race  of  the  day 
was,  indeed,  something  to  stir  the  blood  of  a 
boy  like  Dick  with  the  thought  of  the  glory 
and  the  honor  of  it. 

"  Oh,  do  you  really  mean  it,  Cowboy  Jim  ! " 
he  exclaimed,  jumping  to  his  feet.  "  If  you 
do  I  '11  be  the  happiest  and  proudest  boy  in 
Colorado  to-morrow ;  and  I  know  Sambo  will 
win,  I  know  he  will  win,"  repeated  the  enthusi- 
astic lad. 

Cowboy  Jim  laughed.  "You  can  just  bet 
your  last  copper  he  '11  win,"  he  said  decisively. 
"  An'  you  're  percisely  th'  lad  I  want  on  his 
back  to-morrow ;  an'  so  we  '11  consider  that 
settled.  Now  I  want  you  to  go  right  to  bed, 
an'  get  every  wink  of  sleep  you  can,  so  that 
you  will  be  in  th'  best  possible  shape  for  to- 
morrow ;  an'  I  reckon  Loretta  an'  Harry  had 
better  do  th'  same.  To-morrow '11  be  a  long 
an'  excitin'  day.  I  want  to  see  you  th'  first 
thing  in  th'  mornin',  Dick.  Good  night," 
and  Cowboy  Jim  hurried  off  to  his  quarters. 

Loretta  and  Dick  and  Harry  agreed  that 
Cowboy  Jim's  advice  was  good,  and  at  once 


Cowboy  Jim's  Cannon  141 

sought  their  rooms.  But  it  was  many  minutes 
before  sleep  came  to  Dick's  excited  mind  ;  and 
when  it  did  come  it  brought  dreams,  and  it 
would  be  impossible  to  tell  how  many  times 
Dick  rode  and  won  the  race  on  Sambo's  back 
that  night  before  he  was  awakened  the  next 
morning  by  a  roar  that  almost  shook  him  out 
of  his  bed.  For  an  instant  he  stared  around 
blankly.  What  had  made  that  dreadful 
sound  ?  Then  he  remembered  that  it  was  the 
Fourth  of  July.  It  must  have  been  the  sun- 
rise cannon  !  But  they  had  no  cannons  at 
Lone  Hill  ranch.  The  matter  needed  immedi- 
ate investigation.  He  sprang  out  of  bed,  and, 
with  a  yell,  grabbed  Harry,  who  was  sleepily 
rubbing  his  eyes,  and  pulled  him  out.  Then 
both  boys  made  a  wild  raid  on 'Bill  Burke's 
bunk.  The  negro  was  sleeping  soundly.  It 
took  more  than  a  cannon  to  awaken  Bill 
Burke.  Harry  caught  hold  of  one  leg  and  Dick 
of  the  other,  and  the  next  moment  Bill  Burke 
was  sprawling  on  his  back  on  the  floor. 

"Wake  up!  Hurrah!  It's  the  Fourth  of 
July!"  yelled  Dick. 

"  Biss  !  Boom  !  Siss-bang-boom  !  Hurrah 
for  the  glorious  Fourth  ! "  shouted  Harry,  as 
he  began  jumping  into  his  clothes. 

"  Golly !    how  did   I  get  down  har  on  de 


142  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

flo'?"  queried  Bill  Burke,  sitting  up.  "Is 
done  sho'  I  went  to  bed  in  dat  dar  bunk." 

At  that  moment  Loretta  began  pounding  on 
the  door  with  both  of  her  fists.  "  Hurry ! 
Hurry,  boys!"  she  cried.  "Cowboy  Jim  is 
going  to  fire  off  his  cannon  again.  Hurry,  or 
we  '11  be  too  late  ! " 

"  I  'm  'most  ready,"  answered  Dick. 

"  I  've  only  got  one  boot  to  pull  on,"  called 
Harry. 

"  I 's  comin'  mighty  sudden,"  yelled  Bill 
Burke,  who  by  now  had  caught  the  Fourth  of 
July  enthusiasm.  "  I 's  done  got  but  one  leg 
ob  my  trousers  to  pull  on." 

In  three  minutes  more  the  three  boys  were 
out  of  the  house,  and,  guided  by  Loretta,  were 
racing  down  the  hill  toward  a  huge  rock,  about 
a  half  a  mile  away  from  the  ranch  buildings. 
Before  they  reached  the  rock  they  saw  Cow- 
boy Jim  jump  up  from  behind  it  and  run  away 
as  fast  as  his  legs  would  carry  hirn.  The 
moment  he  saw  the  children  he  shouted  and 
motioned  to  them  to  keep  back.  They 
stopped,  and  in  a  minute  more  Cowboy  Jim 
had  reached  them,  blowing  like  a  porpoise. 

"  There  she  goes ! "  he  yelled,  whirling 
around  and  pointing  toward  the  rock. 

First  there  came  a  great  puff  of  white  smoke, 


Cowboy  Jim's  Cannon  143 

then  they  saw  a  huge  rock  tossed  high  in  the 
air,  and,  while  the  rock  was  yet  in  the  air,  they 
were  almost  lifted  off  their  feet  by  the  shock 
of  a  report  that  seemed  to  fairly  shake  the 
earth. 

Cowboy  Jim's  cannon  had  gone  off. 

Firmly  embedded  in  the  ground  was  a  great 
flat  rock.  In  this  rock  Cowboy  Jim  had  hol- 
lowed out  with  a  hammer  and  chisel  a  small 
depression,  from  which  he  had  cut  a  shallow 
trench  to  the  outer  edge  of  the  rock.  Into 
this  depression  he  had  poured  a  quantity  of 
gunpowder,  attached  a  fuse  to  it  by  means  of 
the  trench,  and  then  had  placed  over  all  an- 
other huge  flat  stone,  with  a  corresponding 
depression  hollowed  in  its  centre.  This  con- 
stituted Cowboy  Jim's  cannon  ;  and  when  it 
went  off  the  sound  was  like  the  roar  of  a 
hundred-pounder. 

The  first  rays  of  the  morning's  sun  were 
now  flashing  over  the  great  plains,  and  the 
splendour  of  the  sight  thrilled  the  hearts  of 
Dick  and  Harry.  Far  to  the  eastward  rolled 
the  plains,  like  the  waves  of  a  mighty  land- 
ocean,  their  crests  bright  with  the  sunlight, 
their  western  slopes  still  in  the  shadows  ;  while 
far  to  the  westward,  clear  and  distinct  in  the 
white  light  of  the  early  morning,  gleamed  the 


144  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

tops  of  the  Spanish  Peaks,  with  many  a  lesser 
mountain  peak  and  rocky  wall  of  nature's 
masonry  shining  in  between.  Even  Bill 
Burke  was  impressed  by  the  magnitude  and 
the  grandeur  of  the  scene ;  and,  in  a  way,  ex- 
pressed the  sentiment  of  all  when  he  exclaimed  : 
"  Golly,  I  done  nebber  seed  so  much  country 
befo'!"  Then,  after  a  moment's  pause  :  "  How 
big  Gawd  A'mighty  mus'  be  to  hab  made  all 
dat!" 

For  a  few  minutes  Loretta  and  Dick  and 
Harry  and  Bill  Burke  and  Cowboy  Jim  stood 
on  the  top  of  the  great  rock,  at  the  base  of 
which  was  the  improvised  cannon,  and  con- 
templated this  wonderful  scene  of  clear  skies, 
broad  plains,  and  towering  mountains ;  and 
then  they  all  hurried  back  to  the  ranch  build- 
ings, where  everybody  had  been  awakened  by 
the  roars  of  Cowboy  Jim's  cannon,  and  the 
bustle  of  the  eventful  day  had  already  begun. 

Cowboy  Jim  took  Dick  away  with  him. 
There  were  many  things  he  wanted  to  tell  the 
lad  about  the  coming  race ;  and  when  Dick 
returned  a  half  an  hour  later,  to  where  Loretta 
and  Harry  and  Bill  Burke  stood  on  the  porch, 
he  was  holding  his  chin  a  little  high  in  the  air 
and  there  was  a  bit  of  swagger  about  his  walk, 
all  very  pardonable  in  a  boy  who  had  been 


Cowboy  Jim's  Cannon  145 

chosen  to  ride  the  fleetest  cow-pony  in  southern 
Colorado,  in  a  race  that  grew  in  importance, 
at  least  in  Dick's  estimation,  with  every 
moment. 

"  Oh,  I  'm  so  glad  that  you  are  to  ride 
Sambo,"  Loretta  called  to  him  as  he  came  up. 
"  And  I  know  you  will  win,  and  then  how 
proud  we  '11  all  be.  Now,  all  of  you  come  in 
to  breakfast.  It 's  almost  time  for  the  cow- 
boys to  begin  coming,  and  I  for  one  want  to 
see  them  come,"  and  she  led  the  way  into  the 
house. 

There  was  no  dallying  over  the  breakfast 
that  morning,  for  all  were  anxious  to  be  out- 
doors, ready  to  welcome  the  cowboys  when 
they  arrived ;  but  it  was  nearly  eight  o'clock 
before  the  first  band  came  in  sight  over  the 
brow  of  a  low  hill  some  three  miles  away. 

"  There  they  are  !  "  shouted  Loretta,  jump- 
ing up.  "  There  they  come  ! "  and  she  pointed 
to  where  a  rapidly  flitting  cloud  of  white  dust 
trailed  out  behind  a  body  of  horsemen  riding 
swiftly  toward  the  Lone  Hill  ranch.  "It's 
the  Bar  Double  S  outfit,  too;  and  that 's  Billie 
riding  on  Boston  in  the  lead.  There 's  the 
only  man  and  horse  you  and  Sambo  need  to 
fear,  Dick.  Oh,  see  them  come  !  " 

By   this   time   the  band   of   cowboys   have 


146  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

reached  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which  stand 
the  ranch  buildings,  and  with  loud  whoops 
are  charging  up  the  incline,  straight  toward 
the  little  group  gathered  in  front  of  the  ranch- 
house  to  receive  and  welcome  them.  There  are 
twenty  cowboys  in  the  band  ;  and  each  one  sits 
up  straight  in  his  saddle,  with  his  legs  hanging 
straight  down,  and  his  body  moving  in  exact 
accord  with  the  motions  of  the  horse.  On  they 
come,  the  wind  blowing  back  the  broad  brims 
of  their  hats,  their  right  hands  occasionally 
wielding  the  quirts,  and  their  heels  driving  the 
spurs  into  the  flanks  of  their  flying  ponies, 
which,  with  heads  held  low,  ears  thrown  back, 
nostrils  distended,  and  foam-flecked  mouths,  are 
racing  up  the  hill.  At  their  head  gallops 
Billie,  ranch-foreman  of  the  Bar  Double  S 
outfit,  on  the  back  of  his  favorite  cow-pony, 
Boston ;  good  friends  and  honest  rivals  of 
Cowboy  Jim  and  Sambo.  On  they  come, 
spurring  and  whipping  their  horses  the  harder 
the  nearer  they  get,  until  it  seems  to  Dick 
and  Harry  as  if  the  wild  cavalcade  of  yelling 
men  and  plunging  horses  must  ride  over  them. 
But,  no ;  while  still  going  at  full  speed  and 
when  almost  upon  Abel  Johnson  and  his  com- 
panions, each  cowboy  suddenly  gives  his  rein 
a  strong  upward  jerk,  and  the  pony,  taught 


Cowboy  Jim's  Cannon  147 

instantly  to  obey  the  pull  on  the  bit,  its  head 
tossed  high  in  the  air,  throws  itself  back  on 
its  hind  legs,  and,  sliding  on  its  fetlocks,  comes 
to  a  full  stop  within  a  few  feet  of  the  aston- 
ished boys ;  and  almost  at  the  same  moment 
the  cowboys  are  off  their  horses  and  shaking 
hands  all  around. 

In  much  the  same  way,  cavalcade  after 
cavalcade  of  ranchmen  dash  madly  up  the  hill 
to  be  welcomed  by  the  whole-hearted  hospi- 
tality of  Abel  Johnson  ;  and  by  ten  o'clock 
a  hundred  and  fifty  men  have  arrived,  and  it 
is  time  to  start  the  "cayuse  to  jumpin',"  as 
Cowboy  Jim  remarks. 


CHAPTER  XV 

BILL    BURKE    AND    THE    BUCKING    BULL 

NEAR  the  centre  of  the  large  level  plot  of 
ground  in  front  of  the  ranch-house  stood 
a  pole,  some  thirty  feet  high,  with  ropes  hung 
and  ready  for  the  running  up  of  the  American 
flag.  Captain  Kent,  who  had  been  appointed 
Master  of  Ceremonies,  now  announced  that  the 
first  thing  on  the  day's  programme  would  be 
the  raising  of  the  flag,  and  requested  all  pres- 
ent to  form  a  circle  round  the  flag-pole,  and  to 
sing  "  The  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  as  the  flag 
was  run  up.  When  all  were  ready,  Captain 
Kent  and  Loretta,  who  was  to  have  the  honor 
of  raising  the  flag,  stepped  to  the  base  of  the 
pole,  where  lay  the  flag  already  attached  to 
the  ropes.  Captain  Kent  took  off  his  hat, 
Loretta  caught  hold  of  the  rope,  and  slowly  the 
flag  rose  upward.  The  moment  the  flag  floated 
free  from  the  ground,  off  came  every  hat,  and 
every  voice  began  singing  that  glorious  old 


Bill  Burke  and  the  Bucking  Bull      149 

song,  dear  to  every  American  patriot's  heart, 
beginning  : 

"  Oh !  say  can  you  see,  by  the  dawn's  early  light, 

What  so  proudly  we  hailed   at   the   twilight's  last 
gleaming  ?" 


Many  of  the  cowboys  had  good  voices,  all 
had  strong  voices,  and  every  man  put  his  heart 
into  the  song.  Dick  and  Harry  had  heard 
this  song  sung  many,  many  times  before  ;  but 
never  had  it  thrilled  and  stirred  them  as  it  did 
now,  as  it  rolled  forth  on  the  voices  of  these 
strong-lunged,  patriotic  men  of  the  plains. 
The  moment  the  flag  was  in  its  place  and  the 
last  words  sung,  out  came  every  man's  six- 
shooter,  and  the  glorious  old  flag  was  saluted 
with  volley  after  volley  until  every  revolver 
had  been  emptied  into  the  air.  Of  all  the 
patriotic  gatherings  in  the  great  nation  on  that 
day,  I  am  sure  not  one  experienced  a  purer  or 
a  stronger  wave  of  patriotism  than  that  which 
swept  over  the  hearts  of  these  rough  men  as 
they  stood  around  that  lonely  flag-pole  on 
the  far-off  plains  of  Colorado  and  paid  their 
homage  to  their  country's  flag. 

The   ground  selected   for  the   games   and 

races  was  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  back  of 

u 


150  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

the  ranch  buildings.  All  now  hastened  to  this 
place. 

"  We  '11  start  the  ball  a-rolling  with  some- 
thing lively,"  Captain  Kent  announced ;  and 
then  he  went  on  to  explain  that  that  lively 
"  something "  was  an  especially  ugly-looking, 
big,  fat  bull  that  stood,  held  by  two  strong 
lariats,  glowering  at  them  a  short  distance 
away,  and  that  the  first  man  who  would  stay 
on  his  bare  back  for  ten  minutes  might  con- 
sider himself,  his  heirs  and  assignees,  hence- 
forth and  forever,  that  bull's  owner. 

Hardly  had  he  ceased  speaking  when  along- 
legged,  long-armed,  and  long-faced  cowboy 
stepped  forth  and  signified  his  intention  to 
have  a  try  for  that  bull. 

"  Bully  for  you,  Shorty  ! "  sang  out  one  of 
the  cowboys. 

"Take  a  diamond  hitch  with  your  legs 
around  his  belly ! "  loudly  advised  another. 

But  Shorty,  giving  no  heed  to  these  and 
various  other  comments  and  freely  offered 
words  of  counsel,  began  preparing  himself  for 
the  contest.  First  he  unbuckled  his  belt  con- 
taining his  heavy  revolver  and  cartridges  and 
dropped  it  on  the  ground  ;  then  he  threw  down 
his  sombrero  on  top  of  it ;  next  he  took  off  his 
boots  and  added  them  to  the  pile ;  and  lastly 


Bill  Burke  and  the  Bucking  Bull     151 

he  rolled  up  his  sleeves,  spat  on  his  hands,  and 
started  for  the  bull,  a  look  of  grim  determina- 
tion on  his  face. 

Two  men  stood  ready  to  unfasten  the  lari- 
ats, while  a  third  held  a  blanket  over  the  bull's 
eyes.  Shorty  approached  the  side  of  the  bull 
as  silently  and  as  cautiously  as  possible,  and 
made  ready  to  leap  upon  his  back  the  moment 
the  ropes  were  loosed  and  the  blanket  re- 
moved. At  the  word  from  Captain  Kent,  who 
stood  with  his  watch  in  his  hand,  the  two  men 
cut  the  lariats,  the  blanket  was  jerked  off, 
Shorty  leaped  upon  the  bull's  back,  and  the 
battle  was  on. 

There  is,  probably,  no  more  difficult  animal 
in  the  world  to  ride  bare-backed  than  a  big,  fat 
bull,  when  the  bull  is  wild  and  objects  to  his 
rider,  and  in  two  seconds  after  Shorty  struck 
his  back  there  was  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of 
any  of  the  onlookers  as  to  the  wildness  of  this 
particular  bull,  or  of  his  objections  to  Shorty 
remaining  on  his  back.  With  a  bellow  of 
fright  and  rage  the  startled  animal  bounded 
away  across  the  plains,  with  Shorty,  wrapping 
his  long  legs  and  arms  as  nearly  as  possible 
around  the  thick  body  and  digging  his  bare 
feet  into  his  sides,  clinging  to  him  almost  liter- 
ally with  teeth  and  nails.  For,  perhaps,  twenty 


152  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

rods  the  bull  ran  straight  ahead  ;  then  he  ap- 
peared suddenly  to  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  that  sort  of  action  was  not  the  way  to  get 
rid  of  the  frightful  clinging  thing  on  his  back, 
for  he  stopped  running  abruptly,  and  began 
jumping  up  and  down  and  sideways,  and  whirl- 
ing round  and  round,  bellowing  all  the  time, 
until  about  all  that  was  to  be  seen  was  a  whirl- 
wind of  mingled  bull  and  dust  and  cowboy. 
Suddenly  from  out  one  side  of  this  whirlwind 
shot  the  long-legged  cowboy,  while  from  the 
other  side  leaped  the  bull.  The  cowboy,  after 
rolling  over  and  over,  jumped  to  his  feet,  and 
was  immediately  surrounded  by  his  hilarious 
friends.  The  bull  was  soon  captured  by  two 
cowboys  and  brought  back  struggling  at  the 
ends  of  their  lariats,  and  made  ready  for  the 
next  rider. 

"Time,  seven  minutes  and  two  seconds," 
announced  Captain  Kent.  "  Will  you  try  him 
again,  Shorty  ?  " 

"  No,"  answered  Shorty,  shaking  his  head 
emphatically.  "  I  'm  out.  That  blamed  bull's 
hide  ain't  anchored  nowhere.  I  'm  locoed  if 
it  did  n't  slip  plumb  over  between  my  legs.  I  'm 
out  of  that  deal,"  and  he  began  gathering  up 
his  belongings. 

For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  the  bull  would 


Bill  Burke  and  the  Bucking  Bull     153 

remain  victor,  and  then  Bill  Burke  stepped 
forth,  his  face  shining  with  excitement. 

"  Is  dat  dar  bull  gwine  to  belong  fo'  sho'  to 
de  one  what  sticks  on  his  back  ten  minutes  ?  " 
he  inquired. 

"Yes,"  answered  Captain  Kent,  smiling. 

"  Den  dis  niggah  gwine  to  hab  dat  bull," 
and  Bill  Burke  started  toward  the  spot  where 
the  enraged  animal  was  pawing  up  the  earth 
and  lowing  angrily,  while  the  cowboys  yelled 
and  whooped  with  delight. 

Two  men  again  made  ready  to  cut  the  ropes, 
while  a  third  threw  a  blanket  over  the  bull's  eyes. 

"  So,  bossy !  So-o,  bossy !  so-o-o  ! "  Bill  Burke 
murmured,  soothingly,  as  he  approached  the 
bull,  to  the  intense  joy  of  all  the  surrounding 
cowboys.  "  So,  bossy  !  So-o,  bossy  !  So-o-o-o  ! " 
and  he  placed  a  black  hand  on  the  animal's 
hind  hip  bone,  and  then,  suddenly,  with  the  yell, 
"  Cut  de  ropes  !  "  he  leaped  on  the  bull's  back 
backward,  quickly  wound  his  long  legs  around 
under  the  thick  neck,  grabbed  the  startled 
animal's  tail  with  his  right  hand,  and  began  to 
twist  it  for  all  he  was  worth.  The  feel  of  the 
sprawling  thing  on  his  back  and  the  pain  from 
the  twisted  tail  nearly  drove  the  bull  frantic 
with  terror,  and,  bellowing  madly,  he  rushed 
off  blindly  over  the  plains. 


154  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Away  went  the  bull  and  Bill  Burke,  the 
negro  hugging  the  backbone  as  closely  as  pos- 
sible, and  giving  the  tail  an  extra  twist  every 
time  the  bull  showed  the  least  inclination  to 
stop  running  and  to  begin  jumping,  and  the 
bull  making  frantic  efforts  to  redouble  his 
speed  each  time  the  negro  took  an  extra  hitch 
in  his  tail ! 

How  the  cowboys  yelled  and  whooped !  Al- 
most on  the  instant  of  its  accomplishment  they 
saw  that  the  quick-witted  negro's  object  was 
to  keep  the  bull  running,  and  thus  prevent 
him  from  stopping  and  jumping  and  whirling 
around  ;  and  they  knew  that  if  he  kept  twisting 
his  tail  and  twisted  it  hard  enough  the  bull 
would  not  stop,  and  that  it  would  not  be  a  diffi- 
cult matter  for  the  negro  to  stay  on  the  bull's 
back  so  long  as  the  animal  ran  straight  ahead. 

At  the  end  of  the  ten  minutes  the  bull  was 
still  going,  and  Bill  Burke  was  still  on  his 
back,  twisting  new  kinks  in  his  tail,  and  too 
intent  on  his  business  to  note  that  Captain 
Kent  and  the  cowboys  were  shouting  to  him 
and  signalling  that  he  had  won,  and  it  was  not 
until  two  of  the  men  had  roped  the  bull  that 
Bill  Burke  finally  dismounted,  sore  but  tri- 
umphant, from  his  foaming  steed. 

Various   games   and   sports    and   contests, 


Bill  Burke  and  the  Bucking  Bull     155 

dear  to  the  hearts  of  cowboys,  followed,  but 
nothing  occurred  of  sufficient  interest  to  need 
describing  here  until  the  time  came  for  the 
two  great  events  of  the  day — the  horse-races 
and  the  steer-roping  contest.  These  had  been 
postponed  until  late  in  the  afternoon  to  avoid 
the  heat,  and  it  was  nearing  four  o'clock  when 
at  last  Captain  Kent  announced  that  the 
horse-racing  would  begin. 

Nearly  every  cowboy  had  entered  his  horse 
for  one  or  more  of  the  races,  and  now  all  was 
bustle  and  excitement  as  the  riders  prepared 
for  the  different  contests.  However,  the  vari- 
ous minor  races  need  not  be  described  here. 
They  were  interesting  and  important  only  to 
their  participators.  But  the  great  event  of  the 
day,  the  four-mile  race,  when  Dick  rode  Sambo 
and  Billie  of  the  Bar  Double  S  outfit  rode 
Boston,  and  every  cowboy  was  shouting  and 
hurrahing  for  one  or  the  other  of  these  two, 
really  merits  a  much  more  vivid  description 
than  my  poor  pen  can  give  it.  This  race  had 
been  talked  over  on  all  the  neighboring  ranches 
for  weeks,  until  the  interest  in  its  outcome  was 
red-hot.  All  knew  that  there  would  be  but  two 
horses  entered,  Cowboy  Jim's  Sambo  and  Bil- 
lie's  Boston.  There  was  not  another  cow- 
pony,  at  least  in  that  section  of  the  country, 


156  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

with  any  pretensions  to  racing  ability,  that  had 
not  been  already  easily  beaten  by  either  the 
one  or  the  other  of  these  horses ;  but,  until 
to-day,  the  two  champions  had  never  chanced 
to  meet  on  the  same  battlefield.  This  will  ex- 
plain why  all  the  cowboys  were  awaiting  so 
eagerly  the  announcement  of  the  four-mile 
race. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE    GREAT    RACE 

A  FEW  minutes  before  Captain  Kent  called 
the  four- mile  race,  Cowboy  Jim  ap- 
proached Dick,  who,  with  Harry  and  Loretta, 
had  been  enjoying  himself  immensely,  and, 
laying  a  hand  on  the  boy's  shoulder,  said  :  "  It 
is  time  we  are  gettin'  ready,  Dick." 

"  All  right,"  Dick  answered,  in  a  voice  that 
trembled  a  little,  "  I  am  ready  to  go  with  you," 
and,  with  a  warm  hand-pressure  and  eagerly 
spoken  words  of  encouragement  and  hope 
from  Loretta  and  Harry,  he  quietly  slipped 
away  with  Cowboy  Jim. 

"  Let  us  go  where  papa  is,"  Loretta  sug- 
gested, pointing  to  where  Abel  Johnson  sat, 
with  two  other  men,  on  a  small  stand  erected 
for  the  judges  a  few  feet  from  the  finishing- 
posts.  "  I  know  he  will  let  us  get  up  there 
with  him,  because  I  am  so  small  that  I  can't 
see  over  the  heads  of  all  these  big  men,  and  I 


158  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

do  so  want  to  see  every  bit  of  Dick's    race. 
Oh,  I  do  hope  he  will  win  !" 

"  Well,"  replied  a  smiling  cowboy,  who  was 
standing  directly  behind  her  and  had  over- 
heard her  words,  "  if  you  're  calculatin'  on 
Cowboy  Jim's  Sambo  beatin'  our  Billie's  Bos- 
ton, I  'm  sorry  for  you,  little  gal,  'cause  he 
won't.  Sambo  's  a  mighty  good  cayuse,  but 
he  ain't  in  it  with  Boston.  Now,  don't  go  to 
th'  puttin'  of  any  good  money  up  on  Sambo," 
and  the  cowboy  shook  his  head  solemnly. 

Loretta  laughed.  "  Oh,  you  need  n't  feel 
a  bit  sorry  for  me,"  she  returned,  "  because 
Sambo  is  going  to  win  that  race  just  as  sure 
as  the  sun  rose  this  morning.  I  know  it,"  and 
she  shook  her  head  at  him  defiantly.  "  Do 
you  hear  ?  I  know  Sambo  is  going  to  win, 
and  it  is  you  that  will  be  sorry,  not  I,  after  the 
race  is  over.  Come  on,  Harry,"  and  she  hur- 
ried away  to  the  stand,  where  sat  her  father 
and  two  of  the  neighboring  ranch-owners,  who 
were  acting  as  judges  of  the  various  horse-races. 

Hardly  had  Loretta  and  Harry  seated  them- 
selves on  the  stand,  when  Captain  Kent  an- 
nounced that  the  next  race  would  be  the 
four-mile  race,  and  called  on  all  who  were  to 
take  part  in  it  to  ride  up  and  receive  their 
instructions. 


The  Great  Race  159 

Then,  amidst  a  wild  tumult  of  excited  shout- 
ing and  hurrahing,  Billie  dashed  swiftly  up  on 
Boston,  and  pulled  up  in  front  of  Captain 
Kent,  and  within  a  few  feet  of  where  Loretta 
and  Harry  sat.  Almost  at  the  same  moment, 
and  from  the  opposite  direction,  Dick  galloped 
up  on  Sambo,  amidst  an  even  wilder  tumult  of 
welcoming  shouts,  and  came  to  a  halt  by  the 
side  of  Billie  and  Boston,  and,  for  the  first 
time,  the  two  horses  stood  side  by  side. 

Sambo  was  black  as  coal ;  Boston  was  white 
as  milk ;  but  with  their  color  the  dissimilarity 
of  the  two  ponies  ended.  Both  horses  were 
splendidly  proportioned,  deep-chested,  narrow- 
barrelled,  and  strong-limbed ;  and  both  had 
beautiful  heads,  with  eyes  bright  with  the  un- 
conquerable spirit  that  had  made  each  victor 
in  many  a  hard-fought  contest.  Sambo  was, 
perhaps,  a  half  a  hand  taller  than  Boston,  and 
Boston,  at  least  to  the  most  of  those  present, 
was  a  trifle  the  handsomer-looking  horse  of 
the  two ;  but,  otherwise,  so  far  as  even  the  ex- 
perienced eyes  of  Captain  Kent  could  see,  there 
was  little  to  choose  between  the  two  equine 
champions. 

There  was  a  greater  dissimilarity  between 
the  two  riders.  Billie  was  a  man  grown,  with 
at  least  ten  years  of  constant  riding  back  of 


160  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

him,  and  famed  as  one  of  the  most  clever 
riders  in  that  part  of  the  country.  Dick  was 
but  a  little  over  sixteen  years  old,  a  boy  in  ex- 
perience as  well  as  in  age ;  but,  for  a  boy, 
a  splendid  horseman.  Billie  was  a  tall,  well- 
proportioned  man,  with  muscles  trained  and 
hardened  by  years  of  constant  usage.  Dick 
was  a  tall,  well-proportioned  boy,  with  some 
thirty  pounds  less  of  weight  to  carry  than 
Billie,  but  his  equal  in  pluck  and  courage.  So 
far  as  appearance  went  the  advantage  was  all 
with  Billie,  at  least  so  it  seemed  to  the  cow- 
men present ;  for,  in  a  four-mile  race,  the  skill 
and  endurance  of  the  rider  is  even  of  more  im- 
portance than  his  weight,  and  these  rough  men 
had  but  little  confidence  in  the  riding  ability  of 
the  Eastern  boy.  Evidently  Billie  was  of  the 
same  opinion,  for  he  smiled  condescendingly 
on  Dick,  and  good-naturedly  asked  him  if  "  his 
ma  knew  he  was  out,"  and  other  like  questions 
calculated  to  make  him  feel  his  youth  and 
greenness.  But  Dick  never  answered  him  a 
word.  When  the  time  came  he  would  let  his 
acts  talk  for  him. 

Captain  Kent  now  made  known  the  con- 
ditions of  the  race.  Exactly  a  mile,  straight 
out  over  the  plain  from  the  finishing-posts,  a 
tall  white  pole  had  been  planted  upright  in  the 


The  Great  Race  161 

ground.  The  horses  were  to  start  from  a 
stand-still,  pass  around  this  mile-post,  back  and 
around  the  right-hand  finishing-post,  again 
around  the  mile-post,  and  back  to  where  a 
beautiful  and  costly  cowboy's  saddle  and  bri- 
dle lay  on  a  high  table,  which  stood  exactly 
midway  between  the  two  finishing-posts.  The 
first  rider  to  touch  either  the  saddle  or  the 
bridle  won  the  race,  and  also  the  bridle  and 
the  saddle.  To  avoid  the  danger  of  the 
horses  running  into  each  other,  should  the 
race  be  a  close  one,  Dick  was  instructed  to 
ride  up  on  the  right-hand  and  Billie  on  the 
left-hand  side  of  the  table.  Two  men  were 
stationed  at  the  mile-post  to  see  that  the  riders 
properly  circled  the  pole,  and  the  three  judges 
sat  where  they  could  see  clearly  what  hand  it 
was  that  first  touched  the  saddle  or  the  bridle. 

"  Do  you  understand  and  are  you  willing  to 
abide  by  these  rules  and  regulations  ?  "  asked 
Captain  Kent. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  two  horsemen. 

"  Get  into  position." 

Dick  and  Billie  wheeled  their  horses,  and 
dashed  up  to  the  starting-point,  a  line  stretched 
from  one  finishing-post  to  the  other.  Both 
horses  were  to  stand  side  by  side,  touching  this 
line  with  their  breasts. 


162  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  Are  you  ready  ? "  Captain  Kent  asked, 
when  both  horsemen  were  in  position,  drawing 
his  six-shooter. 

"Yes." 

"  Then  go  the  instant  the  crack  of  my 
revolver  reaches  your  ears,"  and  he  raised  the 
weapon  above  his  head. 

Dick  leaned  well  forward — crouched  almost 
in  the  attitude  of  a  sprinter — on  Sambo,  his 
left  hand  gripping  tightly  the  reins,  his  right 
holding  his  quirt  raised  to  strike,  his  feet  held 
out  from  the  body  of  the  horse  ready  to  drive 
the  spurs  into  the  flanks,  his  face  white,  his  lips 
set,  and  his  eyes  staring  straight  ahead.  He  was 
in  that  race  to  win,  if  boy  and  horse  could  do  it. 

Billie's  eyes  shone,  his  lips  were  drawn  tight 
against  his  teeth,  and  he  sat  with  seeming 
carelessness,  straight  up  in  the  saddle ;  but 
there  was  no  carelessness  there.  Every  mus- 
cle was  tense,  ready  for  instant  action. 

The  two  horses  stood,  quivering  with  ex- 
citement, held  back  so  that  their  breasts  just 
touched  the  line,  by  the  strong  hands  of  their 
riders,  as  eager  to  be  off  as  were  Dick  and 
Billie  themselves. 

Loretta  and  Harry  almost  held  their  breaths, 
their  eyes  fixed  on  Dick  and  their  ears  listen- 
ing for  the  crack  of  the  pistol. 


The  Great  Race  163 

Captain  Kent  raised  his  arm  higher,  glanced 
swiftly  at  the  two  horsemen,  and  pulled  the 
trigger. 

Crack  ! 

As  if  moved  by  the  same  shaft  of  machinery, 
both  horses  bounded  forward ;  and  the  great 
race  had  begun. 

"  Look,  oh,  look  !  Dick  is  getting  ahead  ! " 
cried  Loretta,  jumping  to  her  feet  in  her  ex- 
citement. "  He  is  ahead  !  See,  he  is  a  good 
rod  ahead  !  Oh,  I  knew  he  would  win  !  Hur- 
rah for  Dick ! "  and,  in  her  enthusiasm,  she 
jumped  upon  her  chair  the  better  to  watch 
the  race. 

By  this  time  Dick  and  Billie  were  nearing 
the  mile-post,  with  Dick,  as  Loretta  had  said, 
a  good  rod  in  the  lead.  Both  horses  were 
going  almost  at  full  speed ;  for  Cowboy  Jim 
had  unlimited  confidence  in  the  endurance  of 
Sambo,  and  had  instructed  Dick  to  make  the 
race  a  "  hot  one  "  from  the  start ;  and  Dick 
was  following  instructions.  All  eyes  were 
now  watching  the  two  horsemen  intently  ;  for 
the  cowboys  knew  well  that  it  required  no 
little  skill  and  judgment  to  ride  a  horse,  while 
going  at  full  speed,  around  a  post  in  the  short- 
est and  quickest  manner  possible ;  and,  as 
there  were  three  of  these  turns  to  be  made 


164  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

before  the  race  was  won,  the  horseman  who 
could  make  the  quickest  and  shortest  turn, 
other  things  being  equal,  would  be  sure  to  win 
the  race.  They  had  no  fears  for  Billie  ;  but 
the  "  Eastern  kid " — some  of  them  expected 
to  see  him  flung  off  the  horse's  back  by  the 
quick  turn  of  the  cow-pony,  and  all  felt  sure 
that  he  would  lose  a  rod  or  more  at  the  round- 
ing of  each  post. 

"  Now  watch  Billie ! "  yelled  one  of  the 
cowboys.  "  This  is  where  the  Eastern  kid 
loses  his  scalp." 

Straight  toward  the  post  rode  Dick,  and 
straight  behind  him  came  Billie.  The  instant 
Dick  had  passed  the  post  he  turned  Sambo, 
and  the  black  responded  so  promptly  that  he 
nearly  threw  his  rider  off  his  back ;  but  Billie 
seemed  to  swing  Boston  around  almost  in  his 
tracks,  and,  with  a  yell  of  triumph,  dashed  in  a 
good  rod  ahead  of  Dick. 

Billie  had  gained  two  rods  in  making  the 
turn  around  the  mile-post ! 

How  Billie's  adherents  yelled,  and  flung  up 
their  hats,  and  fired  off  their  pistols  at  sight  of 
this  remarkable  feat  of  horsemanship  !  while 
Cowboy  Jim's  followers  for  the  first  time  began 
to  look  doubtful. 

"  Hurry,  do  hurry,   Dick  ! "  cried  Loretta. 


The  Great  Race  165 

"  Oh,  don't  let  him  beat  you  !  Hurry,  hurry  ! 
— Oh,  he  's  gaining !  I  am  sure  he  's  gaining  ! 
Don't  you  think  he  's  gaining,  Harry  ? — See, 
he  is  almost  up  even  with  him  again  ! — There, 
I  was  sure  he  would  do  it !  "  and  the  delighted 
girl  clapped  her  hands  and  shouted  her  joy,  as 
Dick  and  Sambo  slowly  drew  ahead  of  Billie 
and  the  white  horse. 

Now,  the  two  horsemen  are  almost  to  the 
finishing-posts,  and  the  cowboys  are  crowding 
back  to  give  them  room  to  make  the  swing- 
round.  Dick  is  ahead,  but  so  close  behind  him 
comes  Billie  that  the  nose  of  the  white  horse 
almost  touches  the  flank  of  the  black.  How 
the  two  horses  do  come  !  with  heads  held  low 
and  necks  almost  straight,  their  nostrils  dis- 
tended, the  foam  flying  from  their  mouths,  and 
their  hoofs  throwing  up  puffs  of  dust  at  every 
jump.  Not  a  yell  comes  from  the  crowd. 
Every  eye  is  strained  to  watch  them  make 
that  fateful  swing-round.  Can  Dick  do  it  with- 
out again  losing  his  lead  ? 

No ;  his  horsemanship  is  not  equal  to  the 
task.  He  makes  a  shorter  turn  than  he  did 
before ;  but  Billie,  with  a  yell  of  derision, 
swings  Boston  around  so  suddenly  that  the 
white  horse  seems  to  turn  on  his  hind  hoofs, 
and  is  off,  a  rod  ahead  of  Dick  ;  and  he  keeps 


1 66  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

the  lead,  keeps  it  in  spite  of  Dick's  and  Sambo's 
utmost  efforts ;  and,  when  he  again  makes  the 
turn  at  the  mile-post  and  starts  back  on  the 
home  stretch,  the  white  horse  leads  the  black 
by  a  full  two  rods,  and  Billie  is  shouting  his 
yells  of  triumph. 

The  excitement  is  now  intense.  The  cow- 
boys try  to  climb  upon  one  another's  shoulders, 
in  their  eagerness  to  see  the  finish.  Cowboy 
Jim  jumps  upon  the  stand  by  the  side  of 
Loretta  and  Harry,  and  stands,  white-faced, 
his  eyes  fixed  on  the  on-coming  horses.  The 
three  judges  forget  their  dignity  and  leap  to 
the  seats  of  their  chairs  the  better  to  view  the 
end  of  this  great  race.  Loretta  and  Harry 
are  fairly  panting  with  excitement  and  anxiety, 
and  the  red  and  the  white  comes  and  goes  in 
their  cheeks,  almost  at  every  breath.  Now 
there  is  not  more  than  half  a  mile  left  to  be 
run,  and  the  white  horse  is  still  two  rods  in  the 
lead,  and  Billie's  friends  are  beginning  to  yeJJ 
their  paeans  of  triumph. 

"  Dick,  O  Dick  !  don't  let  him  beat  yoc ' " 
Loretta  calls,  forgetting  in  her  excitement  that 
Dick's  ears  are  deaf  to  every  sound  save  the 
beatings  of  the  white  horse's  hoofs  ahead  of 
him.  "  Hurry,  hurry,  Dick  !  Do,  do  hurry  !  " 
and  she  stretches  out  her  hands,  as  if  she  would 


The  Great  Race  167 

help  pull  him  along.  "  Oh,  see,  Harry,  he  is 
gaining!  He  is  gaining!  Papa,  Cowboy 
Jim,  see,  he  is  gaining!  Hurry,  hurry  !  Oh, 
do  hurry,  Dick  !  "  and  the  excited  girl  jumps 
up  and  down  on  the  seat  of  her  chair. 

Dick  is  hurrying.  With  whip  and  spur  and 
voice  he  is  getting  every  ounce  of  speed  left  in 
Sambo  out  of  him,  and  the  black  is  responding 
nobly.  Not  in  vain  had  Cowboy  Jim  counted 
on  Sambo's  endurance.  Slowly  he  is  drawing 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  white  horse.  Now 
his  head  is  even  with  the  heaving  flanks,  and 
he  is  still  gaining.  But  Billie  is  awake  to  his 
danger,  and  with  shouts  and  whip  and  spurs  he 
is  urging  Boston  to  his  utmost.  Still  Sambo 
gains,  and  now  they  are  running  neck  and  neck, 
and  the  goal  not  more  than  twenty  rods  away. 

Every  cowboy  is  yelling.  Even  the  three 
judges  are  dancing  up  and  down  on  their  chair 
seats  and  shouting  like  lunatics.  And  Loretta 
and  Harry  and  Cowboy  Jim — well,  their  ex- 
citement and  enthusiasm,  are  beyond  all  my 
powers  of  description. 

For  a  moment  the  black  horse  and  the  white 
horse  run  side  by  side,  neck  and  neck  ;  and 
then,  when  about  ten  rods  from  the  goal,  the 
speed  of  the  white  horse  begins  to  fail,  and  the 
black  shoots  ahead,  and  Dick  leans  over  and 


1 68  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

catches  up  the  bridle,  as  he  dashes  by  the 
table,  ten  feet  ahead  of  Billie,  and  the  great 
race  is  won. 

Dick  and  Sambo  are  the  heroes  of  the  hour. 
In  a  moment  a  tumultuous  crowd  of  yelling 
cowboys  surround  them,  headed  by  Cowboy 
Jim,  who  catches  Dick  up  in  his  arms,  sets 
him  astride  of  his  shoulders,  and,  yelling  like 
a  Comanche  Indian,  starts  a  special  parade,  all 
for  the  glorification  of  Dick.  In  vain  the  boy 
protests  ;  and  it  is  not  until  Loretta  and  Harry 
force  their  way  through  the  surrounding  crowd 
of  cowboys  and  demand  a  chance  to  get  at 
Dick  that  Cowboy  Jim  puts  him  down ;  and 
then  he  almost  has  his  arms  shaken  off  by 
Loretta  and  Harry  and  cowboys  innumerable. 
In  the  midst  of  all  this  excitement  up  comes 
Billie  and  grabs  Dick  by  the  hand.  "  You  're 
th'  tarnation  pluckiest  lad  that  ever  came  out 
of  th'  East,"  he  says,  "an*  that  black's  th' 
toughest  an'  speediest  bit  of  hoss-flesh  that 
ever  chased  a  steer  ;  an'  me  an'  Boston  is  plum 
buoyant  to  succumb  to  such  a  combination. 
We 's  beat  plenty  fair  an'  honorable,  an'  we  's 
satisfied  to  take  second  place  when  you  an' 
Sambo  prances  out  in  front  of  th'  lamps,"  and 
the  grip  he  gives  Dick's  fingers  makes  them 
ache  for  hours. 


The  Great  Race  169 

It  was  nearly  an  hour  after  the  ending  of 
this  great  race  before  the  excited  cowboys 
quieted  down  sufficiently  for  Captain  Kent  to 
announce  that  the  next  thing  on  the  programme 
would  be  the  steer  roping  and  tying  contest, 
and  he  asked  all  who  were  to  venture  their 
skill  to  get  ready  at  once,  as  it  was  getting 
late  in  the  day. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

STEER-TYING 

SIX  contestants  presented  themselves  :  Hank 
Dodson,  of  the  Bar  T  outfit ;  Whitey, 
ranch-foreman  of  the  Double  Star  layout ; 
Trump,  best  cow-man  on  the  Arrow  Head 
ranch ;  Billie,  of  the  Bar  Double  S ;  Black 
Juan,  the  Mexican  ;  and  Cowboy  Jim.  Cow- 
boy Jim  and  Billie  were  mounted  on  fresh 
cow-ponies,  Black  Juan  rode  Hindfoot,  and 
all  of  the  other  cowboys  sat  on  strong,  well- 
trained  horses,  that  understood  the  work  they 
were  about  to  undertake  almost  as  well  as  did 
their  masters.  The  six  cowboys  lined  up  in 
front  of  Captain  Kent  to  receive  their  instruc- 
tions ;  and,  as  they  thus  sat  side  by  side,  the 
critical  eyes  of  the  cow-men  looked  them  over 
and  passed  judgment  on  their  merits. 

"  I  reckon  this  game  is  in  th'  hands  of  Cow- 
boy Jim  an'  Billie,"  remarked  an  old  cattle- 
man ;  "  though  what  sort  of  a  hand  that 
Greaser  holds  is  as  uncertain  as  a  pinto  pony. 


Steer-Tying  171 

He's  got  th'  looks  of  knowin'  how  to  swing  a 
rope,  but  I  don't  like  his  style ;  too  loominous, 
an'  callin'  too  particular  attention  to  himself." 

"  Well,"  joined  in  another  cowboy,  "  I  don't 
savey  that  Greaser  none  myself.  He  's  new 
to  these  parts,  but  I  hears  some  of  th'  boys 
say,  what 's  seen  him  ride  an'  rope,  that  he  's 
goin'  to  give  Cowboy  Jim  an'  Billie  a  mighty 
close  run,  with  'bout  an  even  chance  of  cor- 
rallin'  that  prize  rifle." 

"  That 's  where  your  bronco  is  buckin',"  in- 
terrupted Red  Hank.  "  Fine  feathers  an'  brag 
don't  rope  an'  tie  steers  none  rapid,  with 
Cowboy  Jim  a-swingin'  a  rope  in  competition. 
Mexico's  rope  '11  have  to  burn  holes  in  them 
new  gloves  afore  he  gets  up  motion  sufficient 
to  capture  that  rifle.  I  'm  speakin'  promiscus 
like,  but  if  there  's  any  gent  present  that  doubts 
my  words  I  've  got  yellow  gold  to  back  them 
up,  which  says  Cowboy  Jim  holds  th'  winnin' 
cards  an'  gets  th'  stake  in  this  deal "  ;  and  Red 
Hank's  eyes  challenged  the  crowd. 

By  this  time  Captain  Kent  had  given  the 
contestants  all  the  needed  instructions,  and 
the  six  cowboys  rode  away  to  their  several 
stations. 

The  contest  was  to  be  a  three-steer  tie. 
That  is,  each  contestant  was  to  rope  and  tie 


172  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

three  steers,  and  first  honors  and  the  prize 
would  go  to  the  cowboy  accomplishing  this  in 
the  shortest  space  of  time.  For  the  purpose 
of  determining  the  order  in  which  the  con- 
testants were  to  rope  the  steers,  the  numbers 
i,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  were  placed  in  a  hat.  The 
cowboy  drawing  number  i  would  have  the 
first  steer,  number  2  the  second  steer,  and  so 
on  in  this  order  until  the  six  contestants  had 
each  roped  and  securely  tied  three  steers. 

The  steers  to  be  used  in  the  contest  were 
enclosed  in  a  corral,  with  a  chute  projecting 
from  one  side.  Two  cowboys  were  stationed 
inside  this  corral  to  cut  out  a  steer,  when 
wanted,  and  drive  him  out  through  the  chute, 
which  narrowed  at  its  outer  opening  until  it 
was  just  wide  enough  to  give  free  passage  to 
the  steer.  The  moment  the  steer  was  out  he 
was  badly  frightened,  so  as  to  get  him  to  run- 
ning as  swiftly  as  possible.  The  cowboy  sat 
ready  on  his  horse  a  little  to  the  left  of  the 
opening  of  the  chute.  He  was  required  to 
wait  until  the  steer  had  run  two  hundred  feet 
from  him,  and  then,  at  the  signal,  away  went 
horse  and  rider  after  the  terrified  animal. 

At  a  signal  from  Captain  Kent  the  six  slips 
of  paper  were  now  thrown  into  a  hat  and  the 
hat  passed  to  the  contestants.  Black  Juan, 


Steer-Tying  1 73 

the  Mexican,  drew  number  i,  Dodson  number 
2,  Billie  number  3,  Whitey  number  4,  Cowboy 
Jim  number  5,  and  Trump  number  6.  This 
gave  Black  Juan  the  first  steer,  and,  as  he 
galloped  up  to  his  position  by  the  side  of  the 
chute,  every  eye  was  critically  watching  his 
every  movement. 

Black  Juan  made  a  very  gallant  appearance 
as  he  dashed  up  to  the  chute,  sitting  his  bronco 
with  the  grace  of  a  perfect  horseman.  He 
wore  the  complete  outfit  of  a  Mexican  vaquero 
—  high-peaked,  broad-brimmed,  richly  orna- 
mented hat,  bright  red  silk  neck  scarf,  blue 
silk  shirt,  red  silk  sash,  tight  trousers  without 
shaps,  boots  of  the  finest  stamped  and  orna- 
mented leather,  with  small  high  heels,  narrow 
soles,  and  bright  -  colored  tops,  solid  silver 
spurs,  and  the  finest  of  buckskin  gloves,  with 
richly  ornamented  and  fringed  gauntlets.  His 
saddle  and  bridle  shone  with  silver,  and  Hind- 
foot,  as  if  conscious  of  his  costly  housing,  held 
his  head  high,  arched  his  neck,  and  stepped 
proudly.  Black  Juan  himself,  with  his  dark 
face  and  eyes,  his  long  black  mustache  and 
hair,  and  his  slim  graceful  form,  appeared  to 
fit  right  into  his  clothes,  like  a  picture  in  an 
appropriate  frame,  and  was  by  far  the  most 
picturesque-looking  cowboy  present.  As  he 


174  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

galloped  by  Cowboy  Jim  he  bowed  and  smiled, 
and  flashed  a  swift  disdainful  glance  from  his 
black  eyes  that  made  the  cowboy  mutter  to 
himself  something  about  "  snakes  "  and  vow  to 
take  the  "  conceit  out  of  that  Greaser  if  he  had 
to  break  a  leg." 

The  moment  Black  Juan  reached  his  station 
by  the  side  of  the  chute,  he  unfastened  his 
lariat,  coiled  it  in  his  right  hand  ready  for  the 
throw,  settled  himself  firmly  in  the  saddle, 
gave  a  swift  glance  at  the  pommel  to  see  that 
the  lariat  was  firmly  fastened,  gripped  the  reins 
tightly  in  his  left  hand,  and,  fixing  his  eyes  on 
the  chute-opening,  signified  that  he  was  ready. 

Captain  Kent  raised  his  hand  and  fired  his 
six-shooter  in  the  air,  the  signal  for  the  cow- 
boys in  the  corral  to  send  out  the  first  steer. 

The  moment  was  one  of  intense  excitement. 
The  cowboys  stood  crowded  around  both  sides 
of  the  chute-opening,  every  faculty  alert,  their 
eyes  sparkling  and  their  faces  flushing  ;  for,  to 
a  cowboy,  there  is  no  more  exciting  sport  on 
the  face  of  the  earth  than  a  steer-tying  contest. 

Hark  !  There  is  a  warning  shout  from  the 
cowboys.  The  steer  is  in  the  chute  ! 

Hindfoot  stands,  quivering  with  excitement 
and  straining  at  his  bit,  crouched,  ready  for 
the  instant  spring.  He  knows  what  is 


Steer-Tying  175 

coming,  knows  the  value  of  every  fraction  of 
a  second,  as  well  as  does  his  master.  Black 
Juan's  right  arm  is  extended,  his  lariat  held 
ready  for  the  swing,  and  he  leans  slightly 
forward  in  his  saddle,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
opening. 

Now,  with  a  mad  bellow,  the  frightened 
steer  jumps  into  sight,  and,  driven  by  a  couple 
of  yelling  cowboys,  starts  off  on  a  wild  gallop 
across  the  plains.  In  a  moment  he  has  reached 
the  two-hundred-feet  line. 

"  Go  !"  shouts  Captain  Kent. 

Black  Juan,  with  a  yell,  digs  his  spurs  into 
Hindfoot's  flanks,  and  the  pony  shoots  after 
the  steer  like  an  arrow  from  a  bow.  No  need 
of  reins  to  guide  him.  The  trained  animal 
will  follow  every  twist  and  turn  of  the  steer. 
Black  Juan  is  now  swinging  his  rope,  his  eyes 
watching  every  movement  of  the  long  horns 
on  the  swaying  head,  while  his  spurred  heels 
are  urging  his  horse  to  his  utmost  speed. 
Every  instant  of  time  is  precious.  Suddenly, 
when  the  pony  is  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
racing  steer,  with  a  lightning-like  swing  and 
jerk,  he  throws  the  rope,  and  the  noose  drops 
swiftly  around  the  long  horns.  Another  quick 
jerk  flings  the  rope  over  on  the  right  side  of 
the  steer.  The  horse  rushes  by  on  the  left, 


176  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

and  the  lasso,  swinging  behind  the  steer,  catches 
him  around  the  hind  legs  and  under  the  hocks. 
The  instant  the  lariat  draws  taut,  Black  Juan 
gives  Hindfoot  a  quick  pull  to  the  left;  and, 
so  swiftly  that  the  eyes  cannot  follow  the  move- 
ments, the  steer  is  whirled  half-way  around  and 
thrown  on  his  side  to  the  ground  with  a  thud, 
his  head  twisted  over  on  his  side,  and  held  there 
by  the  pony,  that  now  stands  with  front  feet 
braced,  holding  the  lasso  taut.  Almost  before 
the  body  of  the  steer  strikes  the  ground,  Black 
Juan  is  off  his  horse  and  running  toward  the 
fallen  animal,  loosening  the  tie-rope  wound 
around  his  waist  as  he  runs.  In  another  mo- 
ment he  has  the  loop  of  the  tie-rope  around 
one  of  the  front  feet,  a  half-hitch  around  a 
hind  foot,  a  jerk  and  the  two  feet  are  drawn 
together,  a  half-hitch  around  the  other  hind 
foot,  another  jerk  and  a  quick  twist  and  tie, 
and  the  three  feet  are  drawn  close  together 
and  firmly  fastened.  The  instant  this  is  ac- 
complished, Black  Juan  leaps  to  his  feet  and 
holds  up  both  his  hands,  in  token  that  the  steer 
is  down  and  securely  tied. 

What  a  shout  greets  his  up-lifted  hands ! 
The  cowboys  whirl  their  hats  in  the  air  and 
shoot  off  their  revolvers  and  yell,  mad  with  ex- 
citement ;  for  Black  Juan  has  proven  himself 


Steer-Tying  177 

worthy  to  contend  with  the  best,  and  the  con- 
test is  sure  to  be  a  hot  and  a  close  one. 

Captain  Kent  and  the  timekeepers  consult 
together  for  a  few  minutes,  then  Captain  Kent 
lifts  his  hand  for  silence ;  and,  almost  on  the 
instant,  there  is  absolute  quietude,  so  anxious 
are  all  to  hear  the  official  time. 

"  Time,  thirty-one  and  one  half  seconds ! " 
announced  Captain  Kent. 

Again  the  cowboys'  enthusiasm  breaks  loose, 
and  the  air  is  filled  with  hats,  wild  yells,  and 
pistol  shots. 

"  Wonderful !  "  exclaims  Harry.  "  Wonder- 
ful !  I  can  hardly  believe  my  own  eyes  ! " 

"Can  Cowboy  Jim  beat  that?"  Dick  asks 
anxiously.  "  I  do  hope  he  can,  for  I  don't  like 
the  Mexican  a  little  bit,  and  I  especially  don't 
want  to  hear  him  crowing  over  Cowboy  Jim. 
Do  you  think  he  can  beat  that,  Loretta?" 

"  Of  course  he  can,"  declares  Loretta  em- 
phatically. "  Cowboy  Jim  just  won't  let  that 
Mexican  beat  him.  He  hates  Greasers.  You 
just  wait  until  it  comes  his  turn.  Then  you 
will  see  what  rapid  steer-tying  is  like.  Look, 
Dodson  is  already  at  the  chute.  Now  we  will 
see  what  an  American  cowboy  can  do." 

But  Loretta's  patriotism  is  doomed  to  dis- 
appointment, for  Dodson  fumbles  the  tie-rope ; 


178  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

and  it  is  one  minute  and  ten  seconds  before 
he  holds  up  his  hands. 

Now,  it  is  Billie's  turn  to  try  what  luck  and 
skill  will  do  for  him.  Billie  is  very  popular 
with  the  cowboys,  and  his  appearance  at  the 
chute  is  greeted  with  loud  cheers.  Besides,  he 
is  one  of  the  most  expert  ropers  in  Colorado, 
and  great  things  are  expected  of  him.  But, 
unfortunately,  a  particularly  wild  and  fleet  steer 
falls  to  him  ;  and  it  is  thirty-two  seconds  be- 
fore the  steer  is  down  and  tied  and  Billie's 
hands  are  up.  This  is  considered  great  work, 
considering  the  steer,  and,  as  he  rides  back,  he 
is  wildly  cheered  by  the  excited  cowboys. 

"  He  '11  jerk  the  scalp  off  Mexico  on  the  next 
tie,"  shouts  one  of  his  adherents.  "  That  steer 
was  altogether  too  previous  with  his  long  legs. 
I  '11  stake  my  whole  outfit  on  Billie,  saddle, 
bridle,  and  guns.  Hi !  Whoop  !  Hurrah  for 
Billie!" 

"  You  're  plumb  locoed,"  retorts  another 
cowboy,  "  an'  don't  'pear  to  be  considerin'  Cow- 
boy Jim  none.  An'  jest  to  make  emphatic 
your  unwisdom  I  calls  your  bluff,  an'  takes 
your  outfit  plenty  easy,  an'  declares  previous 
Cowboy  Jim  wins  this  game." 

In  this  way  the  excitement  and  the  yelling 
and  the  betting  goes  on  increasing,  until 


Steer-Tying  1 79 

Whitey  dashes  up  to  the  chute  and  prepares 
to  rope  his  steer. 

Whitey  is  a  bit  nervous,  the  steer  wary,  and 
the  long  horns  dodge  the  noose  of  the  first 
throw  ;  and  it  is  two  minutes  and  three  sec- 
onds before  Whitey's  hands  are  up. 

"Now  it  's  Cowboy  Jim's  try!"  exclaims 
Loretta  excitedly.  "  See,  he  is  getting  ready. 
I  know  he  '11  win.  He  always  does  when  he 
sets  his  teeth  together  hard,  the  way  he  is 
doing  now.  Oh,  he  must  win  ! " 

"  Let 's  give  him  three  cheers,  good  loud 
ones,"  suggested  Dick.  "  It  helps  a  fellow  a 
lot  to  know  that  his  friends  are  yelling  for 
him.  Ready — go  !  Hip  !  Hip  !  Hip  !  Hur- 
rah !  Hurrah!"  —  here  their  voices  were 
drowned  by  the  vociferous  yells  with  which 
Cowboy  Jim's  appearance  at  the  chute  was 
greeted.  But  he  had  heard  their  cheers,  and 
his  face  had  flushed  and  his  eyes  had  kindled 
at  the  sound  of  their  young  voices,  cheering 
him  on  to  hoped-for  victory. 

The  instant  Captain  Kent  shouts  "  Go  ! " 
Cowboy  Jim  is  off,  swinging  his  lariat  around 
his  head  as  he  rides  ;  and,  almost  before  you 
can  breathe  twice,  the  noose  has  gripped  the 
steer's  horns,  and  the  startled  animal  is  jerked 
flat  on  his  side,  with  a  suddenness  that  must 


180          The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

have  wrenched  every  bone  and  muscle  in  his 
body,  and  Cowboy  Jim  is  bending  over  him. 
When  Cowboy  Jim  jumps  to  his  feet  and  holds 
up  his  hands  to  signify  that  the  steer  is  tied, 
not  a  cheer  is  heard.  Every  one  is  all  but 
holding  his  breath,  so  intense  is  the  anxiety  to 
hear  the  official  time. 

"  Time,  thirty-one  seconds  ! "  calls  Captain 
Kent 

Instantly  the  air  is  clouded  with  hats,  and 
the  yells  and  pistol  shots  are  almost  deafening. 
Cowboy  Jim  has  beat  Black  Juan  by  half  a 
second  ! 

"Oh,  I  knew  Cowboy  Jim  would  do  it!" 
Loretta  cries,  dancing  up  and  down  and  yell- 
ing in  her  excitement.  "  I  knew  Cowboy  Jim 
would  not  let  the  Mexican  beat  him  !  Hur- 
rah for  Cowboy  Jim.  Is  n't  he  great  ?  " 

"  It  is  wonderful,  wonderful !"  again  exclaims 
Harry.  "  I  can't  see  how  they  do  it.  For 
one  man,  single-handed,  to  rope  and  throw 
and  tie  a  full-grown  steer  in  but  little  more 
than  half  a  minute  is  almost  unbelievable ! " 

"  Oh,  see  that  scowl  on  Mexico's  face  ! " 
cries  Dick  delightedly.  "He  don't  like  his 
defeat  and  the  cheers  Cowboy  Jim  is  getting 
a  little  bit  I  wonder  why  it  is  those  two  men 
dislike  each  other  so  ?  And  that  Mexican 


Steer-Tying  1 8 1 

hates  Captain  Kent,  too.  I  saw  him  shake 
his  fist  at  him  behind  his  back,  and  look  as  if 
he  wanted  to  kill  him.  Oh,  but  I  am  glad 
Cowboy  Jim  defeated  him!  Hurrah  for 
Cowboy  Jim  !" 

It  was  fully  ten  minutes  before  the  cowboys 
quieted  down  sufficiently  for  Trump  to  take 
his  place  by  the  side  of  the  chute.  Trump 
knew  how  to  handle  both  his  horse  and  rope, 
but  he  was  a  little  slow ;  and  it  was  one  min- 
ute and  three  seconds  before  he  had  his  steer 
tied. 

It  is  now  Black  Juan's  turn  again.  There 
are  smiles  on  his  face,  but  his  eyes  are  glinting 
viciously,  as  he  rides  up  to  the  chute.  The 
cowboys  hail  him  with  loud  cheers  and  calls  for 
him  to  "  do"  Cowboy  Jim  up  brown. 

"  For  the  glory  of  old  Mexico  I  my  best 
will  do,  and  I  the  beautiful  rifle  would  win," 
and  Black  Juan  bows  and  smiles,  with  his 
glinting  eyes  fixed  on  Cowboy  Jim's  face. 

The  steer  comes  out  with  a  rush  ;  and  Black 
Juan,  swinging  his  lariat  and  gouging  his  spurs 
into  his  horse's  flanks  unmercifully,  is  after 
him  like  a  stone  hurled  from  a  catapult.  The 
rope  falls  true.  Down  goes  the  steer ;  and, 
almost,  so  it  seems,  before  he  has  had  time  to 
get  the  tie-rope  around  a  single  foot,  Black 

T 


1 82  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Juan  straightens  up  with  a  jerk,  and  throws  up 
both  his  hands.     The  steer  is  tied. 

Again  there  is  no  cheering.  All  are  listen- 
ing intently  for  the  announcement  of  the  time. 
Has  Black  Juan  beaten  Cowboy  Jim? 

"  Time,  thirty  seconds  ! "  declares  Captain 
Kent. 

There  is  a  moment  of  surprised  silence ; 
and  then  every  cowboy  yells,  jumps  up  and 
down,  throws  up  his  hat,  and  fires  off  his  six- 
shooter,  until  it  sounds  and  looks  as  if  all  the 
imps  of  pandemonium  were  holding  high  car- 
nival before  the  Lone  Hill  ranch.  Black  Juan 
has  proven  his  right  to  a  place  among  the 
cowboy-elect. 

Dick  and  Harry  do  not  cheer.  Their  faces 
look  glum.  It  does  not  seem  possible  that 
Cowboy  Jim  can  beat  that  record. 

"Cowboy  Jim  can  do  better  than  that,"  Lo- 
retta  declares,  not  for  a  moment  losing  faith 
in  her  champion.  "  Anyway  he  won't  let  that 
Greaser  beat  him.  I  know  he  won't.  You 
just  wait  and  see,"  and  she  smiles  encourage- 
ment to  Cowboy  Jim,  who  sits  on  his  horse 
biting  his  mustache. 

Dodson  this  time  succeeds  in  tying  his  steer 
in  fifty  seconds ;  but  the  cowboys  are  begin- 
ning to  take  but  little  interest  in  the  lesser 


Steer-Tying  183 

lights ;  and  it  is  not  until  Billie  rides  up  to 
the  chute  that  their  enthusiasm  breaks  loose 
again. 

It  is  plain  to  see  by  the  look  on  Billie's  face 
that  he  is  going  to  beat  both  Black  Juan  and 
Cowboy  Jim,  if  it  is  in  him  to  do  so.  The 
moment  he  pulls  up  by  the  side  of  the  chute 
the  muscles  of  the  man  and  the  horse  become 
tense — rigid — and  Billie's  face  whitens,  and 
his  lips  draw  tight  across  his  teeth.  He  knows 
that  he  must  "  make  good "  this  time,  or  he 
will  be  out ;  and  he  does  "  make  good,"  for, 
when  Billie  holds  up  his  hands  above  his  tied 
steer,  the  time  is  announced  as  twenty-nine 
and  one  half  seconds  ! 

The  cowboys  are  now  mad  with  excitement. 
Never  before  had  they  witnessed  such  rapid 
steer-tying.  The  contest  promises  to  be  a 
record-breaker  and  a  record-maker.  Whitey, 
Trump,  and  Dodson  wisely  withdraw,  knowing 
that  they  do  not  have  even  a  fighting  chance 
to  win,  and  leave  the  field  for  the  three  cham- 
pions. This  gives  Cowboy  Jim  the  next  turn. 

Before  riding  up  to  the  chute,  Cowboy  Jim 
examines  his  saddle  very  carefully,  tightening 
up  the  cinches  and  seeing  that  everything  is 
firm  and  solid.  It  is  dangerous  work,  this 
steer-tying,  and  a  broken  cinch  might  mean  a 


184  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

broken  neck.  Besides,  he  must  win  this  con- 
test, at  least  he  must  defeat  Black  Juan  ;  and, 
in  work  where  even  the  fraction  of  a  second 
counts,  every  strap  and  buckle  must  be  right. 
The  moment  he  is  ready,  Cowboy  Jim  leaps 
into  his  saddle  and  dashes  up  to  the  chute. 

"  Now  watch  him  ! "  Loretta  cries  exult- 
ingly.  "  Don't  he  look  fine  ?  See,  there  comes 
the  steer — oh,  I  hope  he  will  win  ! — There  he 
goes ! " 

At  that  moment  Captain  Kent  shouted, 
"Go!"  and,  with  a  yell,  Cowboy  Jim  is  off; 
but,  unfortunately,  the  steer  is  the  wildest  of 
that  day's  tying,  and  it  is  thirty-one  and 
one  half  seconds  before  Cowboy  Jim's  hands 
are  up. 

Dick  and  Harry  groan  when  the  time  is  an- 
nounced, and  for  the  first  time  Loretta  begins 
to  look  doubtful.  Even  Abel  Johnson's  face 
shows  disappointment,  for  he  had  had  unlimited 
confidence  in  Cowboy  Jim's  skill. 

The  time  score,  for  the  tying  of  two  steers 
by  the  three  champions,  now  stands  : 

Black  Juan      .     .     6i£  seconds. 
Billie      .     .     .     .     6i| 
Cowboy  Jim  .     .     62^        " 
Each  contestant  has   yet   another  steer  to 
tie  ;  and  so  close  is  the  score  that  the  interest 


Steer-Tying  185 

of  the  cowboys  has  become  too  intense  for 
yelling  or  pistol-shooting ;  and,  when  Black 
Juan  rides  up  to  the  chute  for  his  last  tie,  not 
a  cheer  is  heard  ;  but  every  cowboy  is  striving 
his  utmost  to  get  into  the  best  possible  place 
and  position  to  see  the  final  "  heats "  ;  and, 
when  the  signal  is  given  and  Black  Juan  darts 
qf^r  his  steer,  nearly  every  cowboy  is  swing- 
ing his  right  arm  and  swaying  his  body  in 
unconscious  sympathy  with  the  rider,  while  his 
eyes  are  watching  his  movements  with  an  in- 
tentness  that  gives  his  face  the  look  of  a  piece 
of  bronze  statuary. 

And  Black  Juan  is  proving  himself  worthy 
of  this  interest,  for  even  the  keen  eyes  of  the 
cow-men  are  not  swift  enough  to  follow  his 
movements,  as  he  throws  his  rope  and  ties  his 
steer;  and  when  he  holds  up  his  hands,  and 
Captain  Kent  announces  the  time,  "  Twenty-six 
and  one  half  seconds,"  there  is  such  an  out- 
break of  yelling  and  pistol-shooting  as  has 
seldom  been  heard  even  in  Cowboyland. 

This  puts  Black  Juan  so  far  in  the  lead  that 
it  does  not  seem  possible  that  he  can  be  beaten  ; 
and  when  he  rides  back  the  flush  of  victory  is 
on  his  face. 

"  For  the  glory  of  old  Mexico,"  he  says,  smil- 
ing and  bowing  to  the  tumultuously  cheering 


1 86  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

cowboys,  "  I  my  best  have  done.  But  it  may 
be  the  Americano  vaquero  can  do  better,"  and 
his  eyes  flash  tauntingly  into  the  face  of  Cow- 
boy Jim.  "  In  all  Mexico  there  is  not  one  who 
can  throw  a  rope  or  tie  a  steer  with  greater 
skill  than  I.  I  have  heard  many  words  of  the 
skill  of  the  Americano.  I  now  would  witness 
his  deeds,"  and  he  bows,  mockingly,  first  to 
Billie  and  then  to  Cowboy  Jim. 

Billie's  teeth  come  together  with  a  snap,  and 
Cowboy  Jim's  eyes  flash  ;  but  neither  answers, 
except  by  looks,  which  are  a  sufficient  warning 
to  Black  Juan  that  he  has  said  enough  about 
the  "  glory  of  old  Mexico." 

"  Do  Mexico  if  you  have  to  bust  your 
cinches  ! "  yells  one  of  the  cowboys,  as  Billie 
rides  up  to  the  chute. 

"  Remember  the  Alamo  !  "  shouts  another. 
"  Don't  let  a  Greaser  crow  over  you  ! " 

Black  Juan's  words  about  the  "glory  of  old 
Mexico "  have  stirred  up  the  latent  national 
hatred ;  and,  despite  his  wonderful  skill  with 
the  rope,  have  lost  him  the  favor  of  the  patri- 
otic cowboys. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  what  Billie  will  do  his 
best.  One  look  at  his  face,  as  he  sits  on  his 
bronco  waiting  for  the  steer,  is  sufficient  to 
tell  this ;  and  his  horse  appears  to  be  just  as 


Steer-Tying  187 

desperately  anxious  to  win  as  he  is.  But,  when 
he  throws  up  his  hands  above  his  trembling 
steer,  he  has  lost  the  contest  by  a  bare  half  a 
second ;  and  the  prize  rifle  and  the  honor  will 
be  Black  Juan's  unless  Cowboy  Jim  can  wrest 
it  from  him. 

"  I,  who  know,  tell  you  you  have  done  well," 
and  Black  Juan  smiles  condescendingly  on 
Billie,  as  he  rides  dejectedly  up.  "  Never  have 
I  seen  an  Americano  do  so  well  before,  and  I 
with  many  have  roped.  Now,"  and  he  turns, 
smiling  and  bowing,  to  Cowboy  Jim,  "  I  would 
have  you  show  me  what  an  Americano  vaquero 
can  do.  By  many  have  I  been  told  that  you 
with  the  rope  and  the  horse  are  most  skilful, 
and  I  would  see  your  skill.  Never  have  I  been 
beaten  by  an  Americano,"  and  the  smile  on  his 
face  does  not  hide  the  savage  glint  in  his  eyes, 
as  they  rest  on  Cowboy  Jim. 

"  Well,  I  'm  not  great  on  th'  brag,  Mexico," 
responds  Cowboy  Jim,  sourly,  "  an'  I  can't  com- 
pile none  of  them  graceful  bows  of  yourn,  but 
I  'm  goin'  to  rip  some  of  th'  conceit  out  of  you, 
if  I  have  to  yank  th'  horns  out  of  th'  steer's 
skull,"  and  Cowboy  Jim  jumps  from  his  horse, 
and  begins  to  prepare  for  the  final  test  of  skill. 
He  discards  his  heavy  leather  shaps,  which  in- 
terfere just  a  little  with  the  free  movements  of 


1 88  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

his  legs ;  very  carefully  re-coils  his  tie-rope 
around  his  waist,  so  that  it  can  be  loosened 
with  a  single  quick  jerk  ;  examines  every  strap 
and  buckle  of  his  saddle  and  bridle ;  and, 
finally,  takes  off  his  buckskin  gloves,  so  that 
he  can  have  the  freest  possible  use  of  his  hands. 
Then  he  vaults  into  the  saddle  and  dashes  up 
to  the  chute. 

Many  things  have  conspired  to  work  the  ex- 
citement of  the  cowboys  to  the  highest  possi- 
ble pitch — the  closeness  of  the  contest,  the  very 
evident  rivalry  between  Cowboy  Jim  and  Black 
Juan,  the  latter's  haughty  bearing  and  boastful 
words,  and  above  all  the  marvellous  skill  and 
quickness  of  the  contestants,  who  are  smashing 
records  almost  at  every  tie  ;  and  when  Cowboy 
Jim  takes  his  place  by  the  chute,  ready  for  the 
last  steer,  there  is  not  a  man  there  whose  blood 
is  not  jumping  through  his  veins  at  a  fever  rate. 
They  do  not  cheer  and  yell  now.  Their  inter- 
est is  too  intense.  The  noise  will  come  when 
the  contest  is  won. 

Cowboy  Jim  carefully  coils  his  lariat  and 
holds  it  ready  for  the  swing.  Then  he  settles 
himself  down  firmly  in  his  saddle,  bending  for- 
ward, prepared  for  the  sudden  leap  of  his  horse; 
and  calls,  "  Ready ! "  Captain  Kent  raises 
his  hand  and  fires  his  six-shooter.  The  two 


Steer-Tying  1 89 

cowboys  in  the  corral  cut  out  a  steer  and  rush 
him  into  the  chute.  The  horse  hears  the  steer 
coming  ;  and  you  can  see  his  muscles  tighten- 
ing, his  form  crouching,  for  that  tremendous 
first  leap  that  counts  so  much  in  a  contest  like 
this.  Then  the  steer  jumps  through  the  open- 
ing and  is  off,  followed  by  the  shouting  drivers. 
The  horse  crouches  lower,  each  muscle  tense 
and  rigid  as  bands  of  steel,  his  nostrils  dis- 
tended, and  his  eyes  following  every  move- 
ment of  the  fleeing  steer. 

"  Go  ! "  shouts  Captain  Kent. 

With  the  suddenness  of  steel  springs  that 
splendid  machine  of  bones  and  nerves  and 
sinews  leaps  into  the  air,  and  charges  after  the 
steer.  Cowboy  Jim  swings  his  lasso,  the  noose 
shoots  through  the  air,  and  clutches  the  two 
horns  close  around  their  base  ;  and  then  Cow- 
boy Jim  does  what  only  the  most  expert  rider 
can  do  with  the  best-trained  horse.  He  jumps 
from  his  saddle  the  instant  the  noose  settles 
around  the  horns  and  a  quick  jerk  has  thrown 
the  rope  to  the  right  of  the  steer ;  and,  trust- 
ing to  his  horse  to  turn  and  throw  and  hold 
the  animal  at  the  proper  moment,  he  rushes  in, 
and  gets  to  the  steer  just  as  he  is  whirled  off 
his  feet  and  thrown  flat  on  his  side  ;  and  before 

the  grunt  is  fairly  out  of  the  stunned  beast's 

z 


igo          The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

mouth,  the  loop  of  his  tie-rope  is  around  one 
of  the  trembling  fore  feet ;  and,  almost  in  the 
next  moment,  Cowboy  Jim  has  leaped  to  his 
feet  and  is  holding  up  his  hands. 

His  steer  is  tied  ! 

What  a  thunder  of  applause  greets  this  ex- 
traordinary feat  of  horsemanship  and  skill ! 
Even  the  desire  to  hear  the  time  made  cannot 
quiet  it  for  fully  five  minutes ;  and  then,  as 
suddenly  as  it  began,  every  sound  is  hushed, 
and  every  ear  is  listening. 

"  Time,  twenty-three  and  one  half  seconds  ! " 
shouts  Captain  Kent. 

In  an  instant  pandemonium  breaks  loose.  The 
cowboys  jump  up  and  down  and  yell,  double  up 
and  yell,  roll  over  and  yell,  fire  off  their  six- 
shooters  as  fast  as  they  can  pull  the  triggers  and 
yell,  and  act  as  if  every  particle  of  wit  and  wis- 
dom had  vanished  from  their  brainpans  ;  and 
when  Cowboy  Jim  rides  back,  he  is  pulled  off 
his  horse,  tossed  up  on  the  shoulders  of  two 
husky  cowboys,  and,  followed  and  surrounded 
by  a  yelling,  shooting,  hilarious  crowd  of  cow- 
boys, he  is  carried  up  to  the  judges'  stand 
to  receive  his  award — the  coveted  prize 
rifle. 

This  ends  the  games  and  contests  for  the 
day ;  and  by  ten  o'clock  all  the  visiting 


Steer-Tying  191 

cowboys  have  ridden  away,  and  the  silence 
and  darkness  of  night  have  settled  down  over 
the  Lone  Hill  ranch. 

A  few  minutes  after  the  last  light  has  gone 
out  in  the  ranch-house,  Black  Juan  cautiously 
creeps  around  the  corner  of  a  building,  and 
hurries  away  across  the  dark  plains  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Cowboy  Jim's  cannon  ;  and  five  minutes 
later  he  is  followed,  with  equal  caution,  by  Pe- 
dro the  mule-packer.  At  the  rocks  the  two 
men  are  joined  by  a  third  man  on  horseback ; 
and  for  nearly  an  hour  the  three  men  stand 
close  together,  talking  in  low  voices.  Then 
they  separate  ;  and  the  man  on  horseback  van- 
ishes in  the  darkness  of  the  great  plains,  and 
Black  Juan  and  Pedro,  separately  and  moving 
with  the  utmost  caution,  return  to  the  ranch- 
house.  At  the  door  Black  Juan  meets  Cow- 
boy Jim. 

"  Swallowin'  night  air?"  Cowboy  Jim  asks, 
a  bit  suspiciously. 

"  Si,  seftor,"  answers  Black  Juan.  "  I  of  old 
Mexico  have  been  dreaming,  as  I  smoke  the 
cigarette.  Now,  I  to  bed  go.  To  the  most 
skilful  of  vaqueros  pleasant  dreams,"  and,  with 
a  low  bow,  Black  Juan  passes  by  Cowboy  Jim 
and  goes  to  his  bunk. 

Cowboy  Jim  looks  for  a  moment  doubtfully 


192  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

after  him,  and  then,  muttering  something  to 
himself  about  the  "  queerness  of  Greasers," 
seeks  his  own  bunk ;  and  the  last  conscious  act 
of  that  great  day  of  excitement  is  ended. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

AN    EXCITING    BUFFALO    HUNT 

ON  the  ranch,  breakfast  is  an  early  meal, 
usually  eaten  shortly  after  sunrise  ;  but 
Dick  and  Harry  and  Bill  Burke  were  out  of 
bed,  and  dressed,  and  ready  when  the  bell 
rang  the  next  morning,  for  they  had  planned, 
the  night  before,  to  take  a  horseback  ride  with 
Loretta  across  the  plains,  in  the  delightful  cool 
of  the  early  morning  hours. 

"  I  beat  you  up ! "  Loretta  shouted,  the 
moment  the  boys  came  out  of  their  room. 
"  Did  n't  I  tell  you  I  would  ?" 

"Well,"  laughed  Harry,  "you  didn't  have 
Bill  Burke  snoring  in  your  room  all  night  to 
keep  you  awake.  Why,  honest,  once  or  twice 
when  I  woke  up  during  the  night  I  thought  it 
was  Cowboy  Jim's  cannon  going  off." 

"  Dat  am  a  scan'lous  preambulation,  Miss 
'Retta,  'deed  it  am,"  retorted  Bill  Burke.  "  I 
done  snore  none,  'deed  I  don't.  I  nebber 
heerd  a  sound  from  dis  niggah  all  night.  But, 


194          The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Massah  Harry  !  Lo'd,  it  was  jes  scan'lous, 
scan'lous,  de  noises  dat  corned  from  his  mouf !" 
and  Bill  Burke  shook  his  woolly  head  and 
wrinkled  up  his  black  face. 

Loretta  laughed  merrily,  and  hurried  the 
boys  into  the  house  to  breakfast,  for  she  was 
anxious  to  get  as  early  a  start  as  possible. 

When  they  came  out  they  found  Bonny 
Bess  and  three  other  horses,  saddled  and 
bridled,  awaiting  them,  while  Captain  Kent 
and  Abel  Johnson  and  Cowboy  Jim  and  Red 
Hank  and  a  number  of  other  cowboys  were 
lounging  around  near  by.  Things  looked  just  a 
little  suspicious  to  Dick  and  Harry,  and  they 
glanced  quickly  at  the  horses  to  see  if  the 
cowboys  were  putting  up  any  game  on  them. 
Harry  rejoiced  to  recognize  his  old  friend 
Jack  in  one  of  the  horses,  and  speedily  pre- 
empted him.  Dick  saw  a  pony  that  he  had 
often  ridden  before  and  liked,  and,  at  once 
concluding  that  that  was  the  horse  intended 
for  him,  caught  hold  of  his  bridle.  But  the 
third  horse,  a  scrubby-looking  little  bronco 
that  stood  with  his  head  hanging  down  de- 
jectedly and  his  eyes  half  closed  sleepily, 
neither  of  the  boys  had  ever  seen  before.  Evi- 
dently this  horse  was  intended  for  Bill  Burke  ; 
and  when  Dick  saw  Cowboy  Jim  wink  slyly  at 


An  Exciting  Buffalo  Hunt  195 

him  with  his  left  eye,  he  "caught  on."  Bill 
Burke  had  boasted  quite  loudly  of  his  ability 
to  ride  a  horse  as  well  as  a  bull,  and  the  cow- 
boys were  going  to  see  if  he  could  live  up  to 
his  "brag." 

Loretta  leaped  quickly  on  the  back  of  Bonny 
Bess.  Harry  sprang  into  his  saddle,  and  Dick 
jumped  on  to  his  horse.  Bill  Burke  eyed  the 
remaining  horse  contemptuously  for  a  moment. 
"  'Spects  dat  little  rat  am  my  hoss,"  he  solilo- 
quized, as  he  approached  the  dejected  and 
sleepy-looking  bronco.  "I  's  done  'fraid  I  '11 
break  yo'  HI  back.  Whoa,  hossy !  Whoa, 
hossy  !  Wh-o-o-a !  "  and  Bill  Burke  laid  a 
great  black  hand  on  the  pommel  of  the  saddle. 
The  bronco  opened  one  eye  and  looked  at  him 
inquiringly.  "  Wh-o-o-a  hossy,  wh-o-o-a  !  " 
and  Bill  Burke,  placing  one  foot  in  the  stirrup, 
swung  himself  into  the  saddle  and  gathered  up 
the  reins.  "  Come,  yo'  hoss,  wake  up,"  and  he 
dug  his  spurred  heels  into  the  bronco's  flanks, 
and  jerked  on  the  reins. 

And  the  bronco  did  wake  up  in  the  most  sur- 
prising manner.  First  he  jumped  about  fifteen 
feet  straight  ahead.  Then  he  hunched  up  his 
back  and  bounded  straight  up  into  the  air — 
Bill  Burke  afterwards  said  he  went  up  "  plumb 
twenty  feet  high  " — and  came  down  on  his  four 


196  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

legs  bunched  together  and  held  stiff  as  fence- 
rails.  Then — well,  by  that  time  Bill  Burke  was 
flying  through  the  air  a  half  a  rod  ahead  of  the 
pony,  doubled  up  like  a  startled  hedgehog  and 
yelling  like  a  Comanche  Indian.  On  striking 
the  soft  ground  he  rolled  over  and  over,  tear- 
ing up  handfuls  of  grass  at  every  roll.  When 
Bill  Burke  stopped  rolling,  he  sat  up  and  stared 
blankly  around  for  a  moment.  Then  he  stood 
up,  and,  with  a  look  of  the  utmost  concern  on 
his  face,  began  slowly  feeling  of  his  bones. 
Then  he  straightened  up  and  stared  at  the 
bronco,  that  now  was  standing  quietly  a  few 
rods  away,  with  his  head  hanging  down  de- 
jectedly, looking  at  him  sleepily  out  of  half- 
closed  eyes.  "  Dat  am  de  most  deceivingest 
hoss  I  done  ebber  sot  eyes  on ! "  he  exclaimed, 
shaking  his  woolly  head.  "  Dis  niggah  don't 
want  nuffin'  mo'  to  do  wid  dat  debbel  back- 
bone. I  done  want  no  ride  nohow,"  and  he 
hurried  back  into  the  house  to  escape  the  jeers 
and  yells  of  the  cowboys,  who  had  witnessed 
his  discomfiture  with  hilarious  enjoyment. 

Loretta  and  Dick  and  Harry  were  now 
ready  to  depart  for  their  ride.  Captain  Kent 
and  Abel  Johnson  cautioned  them  not  to  go 
too  far  from  the  ranch-house,  and  told  them 
to  be  sure  to  be  back  by  noon. 


An  Exciting  Buffalo  Hunt  197 

"  There  ain't  no  Red  Panther  to  fear  this 
time,"  Abel  Johnson  said,  "  an'  I  reckon  Run- 
ning Bear  is  still  a  runnin'  away  from  the  U.  S. 
soldiers  ;  but  noon  's  th'  time  for  you  kids  to 
be  back.  I  don't  think  I  could  eat  comforta- 
ble-like without  my  little  gal  a-settin'  by  th' 
side  of  me.  Remember,  you  're  to  be  back  by 
noon,"  and  he  lifted  his  bearded  face  for  Lo- 
retta's  farewell  kiss. 

Never  did  father  and  child  part,  even  for  a 
few  hours,  without  this  sweet  acknowledg- 
ment of  their  love.  Abel  Johnson's  wife  had 
been  dead  for  some  six  years  ;  and  it  seemed 
as  if  all  the  love  he  had  borne  his  wife,  with 
the  added  father  love,  had  become  centred  in 
their  child,  his  "little  gal,"  as  Abel  Johnson 
affectionately  called  Loretta ;  and  no  mother 
could  have  been  more  tender  and  loving  than 
this  great  rough  ranchman  had  been  to  his 
motherless  child. 

Some  fifteen  minutes  after  Loretta  and 
Dick  and  Harry  had  ridden  away,  Cowboy 
Jim,  on  turning  the  corner  of  one  of  the  build- 
ings, came  unexpectedly  upon  Black  Juan, 
waving  a  white  silk  neckscarf  up  and  down  in 
the  air. 

"What  in  creation  be  you  doin'  with  that 
rag,  Mexico?"  he  asked  sharply.  "Go  an' 

2  A 


198  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

get  on  your  hoss.  You  're  to  ride  with  Red 
Hank  to-day." 

"Si,  seflor,"  anwered  Black  Juan,  smiling 
and  bowing.  "  I  did  from  this  neckscarf  but 
clean  the  dirt  ;  and  now  I  would  in  the  warm 
bright  sunlight  dry  it.  I  go,"  and,  giving  the 
scarf  a  final  swing,  he  threw  it  around  his  neck, 
and  hurried  away  toward  the  corral,  where  the 
men  were  saddling  their  horses. 

As  he  started  off  Cowboy  Jim  stepped 
quickly  up  to  him  and  felt  the  scarf  he  had 
flung  around  his  neck.  It  was  still  damp. 

"  Humph  ! "  he  snorted  in  disgust.  "  I 
reckon  you 's  a  plumb  dandy,  Mexico,"  and 
he  turned  and  walked  back  toward  the  ranch- 
house,  again  wondering  at  the  "  queerness  of 
Greasers." 

But,  if  Cowboy  Jim  had  known  that  miles 
away  out  on  the  great  plain  a  man  had  lain 
since  sunrise,  watching  the  ranch  buildings 
through  a  powerful  field-glass,  and  that  this 
man  had  quickly  mounted  and  ridden  rapidly 
away,  an  eager,  excited  look  on  his  face,  the 
moment  Black  Juan  had  tied  the  scarf  around 
his  neck,  he  doubtless  would  have  had  alto- 
gether different  views  of  Black  Juan,  and, 
probably,  would  have  voiced  them  through 
his  six-shooter.  However,  not  the  slightest 


An  Exciting  Buffalo   Hunt  199 

suspicion  of  any  such  devilment  ever  entered 
his  honest  head ;  so  there  is  no  need  of  our 
speculating  on  what  he  might  or  might  not 
have  done  had  it  been  otherwise  ;  and  we  will 
return  to  the  children. 

The  morning  was  delightfully  cool  and  in- 
vigorating, and  Loretta  and  Dick  and  Harry 
were  in  the  highest  spirits  as  they  rode  down 
the  hill  and  galloped  away  over  the  green 
flower-decked  plains.  Indeed,  Loretta  was 
especially  happy,  for  she  was  sitting  on  Cap- 
tain Kent's  beautiful  gift  saddle,  the  reins  of 
the  new  bridle  were  in  her  hands,  and  Bonny 
Bess,  proud  as  a  queen,  in  her  new  accoutre- 
ments, was  curvetting  beneath  her.  She  sang 
and  laughed  and  shouted  ;  challenged  the  boys 
to  races  and  always  beat  them  ;  chased  the 
jack-rabbits  and  laughed  at  Bonny  Bess's  des- 
perate but  vain  efforts  to  catch  them ;  and, 
withal,  was  so  girl-like  in  her  joyousness  that 
the  two  boys  were  entranced,  and  sang  and 
laughed  and  shouted  with  her,  with  a  freedom 
and  whole-hearted  gladness  they  never  would 
have  thought  possible  with  their  more  formal 
but  less  fascinating  girl-friends  of  the  East. 

Dick  and  Harry  had  their  Winchesters  with 
them,  and  Loretta  carried  a  light  rifle  that  her 
father  had  had  made  especially  for  her  use,  with 


2oo  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

which  she  had  become  wonderfully  expert. 
They  did  not  carry  these  weapons  with  the 
expectation  of  needing  them  in  their  own  de- 
fence ;  but  hoped  to  get  a  few  shots  at  the 
numerous  antelopes  and  jack-rabbits  that 
abounded  on  the  great  plains,  and,  possibly, 
at  a  deer  or  buffalo.  Buffalo  !  The  very 
thought  of  getting  a  shot  at  one  of  these 
shaggy  monsters  made  Dick's  and  Harry's 
hearts  swell  and  jump  with  excitement.  And 
to  really  shoot  one  !  Well,  you  boys  all  know 
exactly  how  Dick  and  Harry  felt  at  the  thought 
of  killing  a  buffalo,  so  what  is  the  need  of  my 
telling  you  ?  But,  when  a  good  part  of  the 
forenoon  had  passed  and  they  had  seen  no 
game  larger  than  jack-rabbits,  the  boys  began 
to  grow  discouraged. 

"  I  don't  believe  there  's  anything  larger 
than  a  jack-rabbit  on  these  plains  ! "  Dick  ex- 
claimed disgustedly.  "  I  thought  we  might, 
at  least,  get  a  shot  at  an  antelope." 

The  children  had  stopped  to  rest  their 
horses  at  the  base  of  a  gentle  slope  whose  top 
was  crowned  with  a  huge  rock. 

"  Oh,  say,"  suggested  Harry,  pointing  to 
this  rock.  "  Let  us  imagine  that  the  plains 
beyond  this  divide  are  covered  with  buffaloes, 
and  that  we  are  three  hunters  about  to  creep 


An  Exciting  Buffalo  Hunt  201 

up  and  dash  down  on  them  from  behind  that 
rock."  Harry  had  a  vivid  imagination,  and 
had  not  yet  entirely  outgrown  his  make- 
believe  days. 

"  All  right,"  agreed  Dick,  laughing,  "  and  I 
am  sure  that  it  is  as  near  as  we  will  get  to- 
any  buffaloes  to-day." 

''And  when  we  dash  down  the  hill,"  Lo- 
retta  added,  "  if  we  scare  up  a  jack-rabbit,  let 
us  make  believe  he  is  a  buffalo  and  give  chase, 
and  see  if  we  can  shoot  him.  That  will  be 
great  fun,"  and  her  eyes  began  to  sparkle. 

Accordingly  they  rode  their  horses  up  the 
slope,  as  cautiously  as  possible,  being  very 
careful  not  to  make  a  sound  that  would  af- 
fright that  imaginary  herd  of  buffaloes.  Just 
before  they  reached  the  top  Dick  dismounted 
and  crept  up  behind  the  rock  on  his  hands  and 
knees,  and  very  cautiously  peered  around  one 
corner  to  locate  the  make-believe  herd. 

The  moment  he  looked  on  the  plain  below, 
he  jumped  to  his  feet,  his  eyes  almost  bulging 
from  their  sockets,  and  his  hands  trembling  sa 
that  he  could  hardly  hold  his  rifle.  For  a 
minute  he  stood  staring,  as  if  he  could  hardly 
believe  the  evidence  of  his  own  eyes  ;  then  he 
suddenly  dropped  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and 
began  rapidly  but  cautiously  crawling  back  to 


2O2  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

where  Loretta  and  Harry  sat  on  their  horses, 
watching  him  with  white,  excited  faces. 

What  had  Dick  seen  ? 

"  Oh,  if  it  should  be  Indians  !  "  Loretta  ex- 
claimed, half  turning  Bonny  Bess,  and  glanc- 
ing fearfully  over  the  long  miles  of  plains  that 
lay  between  them  and  the  Lone  Hill  ranch. 
41  What  would  we  do  ?  " 

"Well,"  and  Harry's  face  grew  very  white, 
"  if  the  Indians  discovered  us,  we've  got  our 
guns,  and  Dick  and  I  could  make  a  running 
fight  towards  the  ranch,  while  you  rode  Bonny 
Bess  for  dear  life  for  help.  I  fancy  Dick  and 
I,  with  the  help  of  these  Winchesters,  could 
keep  back  a  lot  of  Indians,"  and  Harry  tried 
to  look  very  brave,  but  he  really  felt  very 
badly  frightened.  He  still  had  a  very  vivid  re- 
membrance of  their  capture  by  Red  Panther 
and  his  warriors,  and  he  was  not  in  the  least 
anxious  to  repeat  that  experience. 

By  this  time  Dick  had  passed  below  the  brow 
of  the  hill,  and  now,  jumping  to  his  feet,  he  ran 
panting  with  excitement  to  where  Lore*, a  and 
Harry  were  anxiously  awaiting  him. 

"What  is  it?  Oh,  what  is  it?"  Loretta 
cried,  the  moment  he  came  near  enough  for 
her  to  speak. 

14  Hush  !     Hush  ! "  panted  Dick,  in  an  ex- 


An  Exciting  Buffalo  Hunt  203 

cited  whisper.  "  Don't  speak  so  loud.  It's  a 
herd  of  buffaloes.  Twenty  or  thirty  of  them — 
big  fellows  ;  and  they  are  not  more  than  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  from  that  great  rock.  Now,  we 
must  kill  one  or  two  of  them.  My,  but  I  was 
surprised  ! "  Dick's  eyes  danced,  and  he  was 
panting  as  if  he  had  run  until  he  had  lost  his 
breath.  "  I  know  exactly  what  we  must  do," 
he  continued,  giving  no  heed  to  the  astonished 
exclamations  of  Loretta  and  Harry.  "  I  have 
heard  Captain  Kent  tell  how  to  run  buffaloes, 
and  I  have  read  all  about  it  in  books.  We 
must  ride  up  just  as  carefully  as  we  can  behind 
that  big  rock,  it  is  large  enough  to  hide  us  all ; 
and  then,  when  we  are  all  ready,  we  must  rush 
out,  all  at  once,  from  behind  the  rock,  and 
charge  down  on  the  buffaloes  just  as  fast  as  we 
can  make  our  horses  go.  Each  one  of  us 
must  pick  out  the  buffalo  he  wants  to  kill,  and 
ride  up  close  to  his  left  side,  and  shoot  him 
just  behind  the  shoulder-blade ;  and  then  he 
must  turn  his  horse  quick  and  look  out  that 
the  buffalo  does  not  charge  him.  And " — 
Dick  paused  and  looked  a  little  doubtfully  at 
the  flushed  face  of  the  girl — "  and,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  Loretta,  you  can  wait  at  the  big  rock 
and  watch  us,  and  be  ready  to  ride  up  the  mo- 
ment we  have  killed  our  buffaloes." 


204  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  Well,  I  like  that ! "  and  Loretta  gave  her 
chin  an  indignant  upward  toss.  "  I  'm  to  wait 
and  let  you  and  Harry  have  all  the  fun  and 
win  all  the  glory,  am  I  ?  "  . 

"  But  it 's  dangerous,"  protested  Dick. 

"  Dangerous  ?  "  and  the  chin  went  up  sev- 
eral notches  higher.  Just  as  if  I  did  n't  know 
how  to  hunt  buffalo !  Why,  I  Ve  seen  papa 
kill  dozens  of  them,  and  I  Ve  shot  two  myself. 
Besides,  Bonny  Bess  is  a  trained  buffalo  horse ; 
and  the  buffalo  don't  live  that  could  get  his 
horns  within  six  feet  of  her.  No  ;  when  you 
charge  those  buffaloes,  I  '11  charge  with  you  ; 
and  you  '11  see  that  I  '11  get  my  buffalo  before 
either  of  you  boys  gets  yours.  Come  on  ! " 
and  the  spirited  girl  began  to  ride  slowly  and 
cautiously  toward  the  rock,  carefully  examin- 
ing her  rifle  as  she  did  so.  Dick  and  Harry 
followed,  somewhat  amazed  to  think  that 
this  fourteen-year-old  girl  had  already  shot 
two  buffaloes,  and  had  never  thought  the 
deed  worth  mentioning  until  the  present 
moment. 

When  the  rock  was  reached  they  dis- 
mounted, and  warily  reconnoitred.  The  buf- 
faloes, as  Dick  said,  were  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  rock.  There  were  twenty-six  of 
them ;  and  the  great  bulls,  with  their  long 


An  Exciting  Buffalo  Hunt  205 

shaggy  hair,  covering  their  enormous  necks 
and  shoulders,  looked  like  veritable  monsters 
to  the  excited  eyes  of  Dick  and  Harry,  and 
made  them  more  eager  than  ever  to  slay  one 
of  the  great  beasts. 

Before  remounting,  the  saddles  and  bridles 
were  examined  carefully,  the  cinches  tight- 
ened, and  every  strap  and  buckle  made  firm 
and  solid.  In  this  dangerous  sport  a  fall  from 
a  horse  might  mean  a  sudden  and  terrible 
death  on  the  horns  of  an  enraged  bull.  When 
all  was  ready  they  mounted  and  prepared  for 
the  onset. 

"  Now,"  Dick  whispered,  "  when  I  count 
three,  go  !  Are  you  all  ready  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Loretta  and  Harry,  holding 
tight  the  reins  of  their  horses  in  their  left 
hands  and  firmly  gripping  their  rifles  in  their 
right. 

"  One,"  began  Dick,  "  two — three  ! "  and  out 
from  behind  the  rock,  and  down  the  hill,  straight 
toward  the  buffalo,  dashed  the  three  children, 
riding  as  fast  as  they  could  make  their  horses 

go- 

For  a  second  the  buffaloes  stared  in  aston- 
ishment ;  and  then,  whirling  around,  they  were 
off,  their  short  tails  held  stiffly  erect,  fleeing 

for  life  from  the  horses  and  riders  that  they 

2fi 


206  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

had  long  since  learned  to  fear  as  their  most 
deadly  enemies. 

Fortunately  the  horses  of  Dick  and  Harry, 
as  well  as  Bonny  Bess,  had  been  trained  to 
hunt  buffaloes,  and  they  needed  but  little  guid- 
ance from  the  reins  ;  otherwise  the  boys  would 
have  found  it  exceedingly  difficult,  if  not  quite 
impossible,  to  have  handled  their  rifles  effect- 
ively. As  it  was,  their  difficulties  were  great 
enough.  Usually  the  hunter,  when  running 
buffaloes,  is  armed  only  with  a  heavy  pistol  or 
revolver.  This  gives  him  an  effective  and  yet 
easily  handled  weapon.  But  Dick  and  Harry 
had  left  their  heavy  six-shooters  at  the  ranch- 
house,  and  the  Winchesters  were  their  only 
weapons. 

The  buffalo  is  usually  no  match  for  a  horse 
in  speed,  even  when  the  horse  has  a  rider  on  his 
back ;  and  in  a  very  short  time  the  youthful 
hunters  had  overtaken  the  herd.  Dick  selected 
a  huge  bull,  and  guided  his  horse  toward  him  ; 
and  Harry  and  Loretta,  equally  ambitious,  did 
likewise.  In  a  few  minutes  Dick's  horse  had 
brought  him  alongside  the  bull,  not  more  than 
ten  feet  away  from  the  panting  side.  Now 
was  the  time  to  shoot.  What  a  monster  he 
looked,  as  Dick,  partly  turning  in  his  saddle, 
raised  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  and  fired.  The 


An  Exciting  Buffalo  Hunt  207 

instant  he  shot,  his  horse  turned  quickly  to 
avoid  the  expected  charge.  The  great  bull 
bellowed  with  pain  and  rage,  swerved  a  little  to 
one  side ;  and  then  the  strength  seemed  to  go 
suddenly  from  his  legs,  and  the  huge  beast 
tumbled  to  the  ground,  ploughing  up  the  dirt 
and  grass  with  his  head  and  horns,  shot 
through  the  heart. 

What  a  shout  of  triumph  Dick  gave  when  he 
saw  the  monster  go  down  !  Quickly  pulling  up 
his  horse  he  rode  up  to  the  side  of  the  dying 
buffalo,  prepared  to  give  him  another  shot, 
should  there  be  any  need ;  but  the  shaggy- 
headed  brute  was  dead  by  the  time  Dick 
reached  his  side.  For  a  moment  he  sat  on  his 
horse,  regarding  his  first  buffalo  with  sparkling 
eyes  and  a  flushed  face.  How  he  wished  the 
boys  at  home  could  see  him  now !  Then  he 
took  off  his  sombrero,  swung  it  in  the  air,  and 
opened  his  mouth  to  give  voice  to  his  exulta- 
tion ;  but  he  did  not  yell. 

At  that  moment  he  heard  a  cry  of  horror 
from  Harry,  and,  turning,  saw,  about  twenty 
rods  to  his  left,  a  monster  buffalo  bull,  with 
head  down,  eyes  glaring,  foam  and  blood  flying 
from  his  mouth,  charging,  mad  with  fury,  after 
Loretta ;  and  the  strong  short  horns  were 
within  ten  feet  of  Bonny  Bess's  flying  heels  ; 


208  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

and  some  ten  rods  behind  the  bull  rode  Harry, 
spurring  his  horse  to  his  utmost  speed  in  his 
endeavour  to  get  alongside  of  the  buffalo,  where 
he  could  shoot,  before  it  was  too  late.  With 
whitening  face  Dick  saw  that,  in  spite  of  the 
pony's  great  speed,  she  was  not  gaining  on  the 
enraged  bull.  What  if  Bonny  Bess  should 
stumble  ?  or  put  her  foot  in  a  prairie  dog's 
hole  ?  or  if  this  sudden  burst  of  speed  in  the 
bull  should  prove  to  be  too  great  for  her,  bur- 
dened as  she  was  with  the  weight  of  her  mis- 
tress? In  fancy  he  saw  Loretta  flying  over 
the  pony's  head,  and  caught  up  from  the 
ground  and  tossed  high  in  the  air  on  the  sharp 
strong  horns.  Then,  with  a  quick  indrawn 
breath,  his  jaws  came  together  with  a  snap  ; 
and,  digging  his  spurs  into  his  horse's  flanks, 
he  dashed  to  her  rescue. 

For  a  few  minutes  the  fierceness  of  his  rage 
gave  the  buffalo  bull  astonishing  speed  ;  and 
he  gained  slowly  on  Bonny  Bess,  despite  Lo- 
retta's  utmost  urgings,  gained  until  the  long 
hairs  of  the  pony's  tail  touched  the  great 
shaggy  head,  and  it  seemed  as  if  Loretta  were 
doomed.  Dick  was  too  far  away  to  chance  a 
shot — he  might  hit  the  girl ;  and  Harry's  horse 
was  not  speedy  enough  to  overtake  the  bull. 
Suddenly  Harry,  in  sheer  desperation,  threw 


Slowly  the  buffalo  bull  gained  on  Bonny  Bess,  despite  Loretta's  utmost 
urgings,  gained  until  the  long  hair  of  the  pony's  tail  touched  the 
great  shaggy  head,  and  it  seemed  as  if  Loretta  were  doomed." 

PAGE  208. 


An  Exciting  Buffalo  Hunt  209 

his  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  and  fired.  The  bull 
went  half  over,  like  a  ship  struck  by  a  sudden 
gale,  and  then  plunged  on,  one  of  his  fore  legs 
dangling  broken  and  useless.  With  wild  hur- 
rahs Dick  and  Harry  now  dashed  up  to  the 
partially  disabled  animal,  and  in  five  minutes 
more  the  huge  beast  lay  dead  on  the  plain  ; 
and  Dick  and  Harry  were  congratulating  Lo- 
retta  on  her  narrow  escape,  and  Loretta  was 
thanking  the  boys,  especially  Harry  for  his 
marvellous  shot  which  had  probably  saved  her 
life. 

"  That  was  a  great  shot,  the  shot  of  your 
life!"  Dick  exclaimed,  gripping  Harry's  hand 
and  shaking  it  warmly.  "  If  you  live  to  be  a 
hundred  years  old  you  won't  make  a  better ; 
and  I  guess  it  saved  Loretta's  life."  The  tears 
came  into  Dick's  eyes  as  he  spoke.  "  I  never 
felt  so  good  over  anything  in  all  my  life  as  I 
did  when  I  saw  that  bull  go  over  sideways  with 
a  broken  leg,  just  as  he  was  about  to  jab  his 
horns  into  Bonny  Bess." 

"  That 's  where  you  're  right,  sonny.  It  was 
an  almighty  good  shot;  an',  lest  you  should  be 
tempted  to  do  some  more  fancy  shootin'  with 
them  guns,  we'll  relieve  you  of  them.  Hand 
them  over,  quick,"  and  the  startled  children 
turned  to  find  themselves  looking  into  the 


210 


The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 


muzzles  of  three  six-shooters,  held  by  three 
rough-looking  men,  who  sat  on  their  horses 
not  fifteen  feet  away.  "  Quick,  give  us  them 
guns — butts  first,  mind,"  and  the  eyes  behind 
the  six-shooters  began  to  gleam  threateningly. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

ACROSS   THE    DEVII/S    BACKBONE 

FOR  a  moment  Dick  and  Harry  and  Lo- 
retta  were  too  startled  by  the  sudden  and 
unexpected  appearance  of  the  three  men,  and 
the  sight  of  the  three  revolvers  levelled  straight 
at  their  heads,  to  make  a  move.  What  could 
the  actions  of  these  men  mean  ?  Could  they 
be  in  earnest  ? 

They  were  not  left  long  in  doubt.  With  an 
oath  each  man  spurred  his  horse  up  close  to 
one  of  the  children,  still  keeping  his  revolver 
pointed  straight  at  the  head. 

"  Now,"  again  commanded  the  spokesman, 
"give  us  them  guns  mighty  sudden,  or" — 
and  the  "  or  "  was  followed  by  a  string  of  fright- 
ful oaths  and  horrible  threats. 

It  needed  but  a  glance  into  the  eyes  back  of 
the  six-shooters  to  tell  Dick  and  Harry  and 
Loretta  that  the  men  were  so  desperately  in 
earnest  that  a  moment's  hesitancy  to  obey 
the  command  might  mean  instant  death ;  and 


212  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

they  were  wise  enough  not  to  hesitate.  Dick 
promptly  reversed  his  rifle,  and  handed  it  to 
the  man  who  had  approached  him,  the  fierce 
eyes  watching  his  every  movement ;  and  Harry, 
with  equal  alacrity,  gave  up  his  gun.  But 
Loretta,  noting  that  the  man  who  rode  up  to 
her,  doubtless  thinking  there  was  little  need  of 
caution  with  a  girl,  was  a  bit  careless,  suddenly 
swung  the  butt  of  her  rifle  upward,  just  as  the 
man  was  about  to  seize  it,  and,  striking  the 
hand  that  held  the  six-shooter  a  violent  blow, 
knocked  the  weapon  from  his  grasp.  At  the 
same  instant  she  dug  the  spurs  into  the  sides 
of  Bonny  Bess,  shouted  the  cry  that  the  pony 
never  heard  except  when  her  mistress  wished 
her  to  put  forth  her  utmost  speed,  and  was 
racing  away  over  the  plains  before  the  aston- 
ished man  recovered  his  wits  sufficiently  to 
attempt  to  stop  her.  Then,  with  an  angry 
oath,  he  jerked  his  rifle  out  of  its  holster  and 
levelled  it  at  the  fleeing  girl. 

Dick,  with  breathless  excitement,  had  wit- 
nessed the  actions  of  the  brave  girl ;  and  now, 
when  he  saw  the  cowardly  villain  raise  his  rifle, 
his  wrath  at  the  brute  who  would  shoot  a  girl 
and  his  fear  for  the  safety  of  Loretta  overcame 
every  other  feeling.  He  forgot  his  own  dan- 
ger, forgot  the  revolver  levelled  at  his  head, 


Across  the  Devil's  Backbone         213 

and,  with  a  cry  of  horror,  struck  the  spurs 
deep  into  his  horse's  flanks  ;  and  boy  and  horse 
plunged  madly  straight  against  the  horse  of 
the  man  whose  rifle  was  levelled  at  Loretta. 

So  sudden  and  so  violent  was  the  impact 
that  the  man  was  knocked  out  of  his  saddle, 
the  rifle  going  off  harmlessly  in  the  air ;  and 
Dick's  horse  was  thrown  back  on  his  haunches. 
At  this  moment  his  own  clubbed  Winchester 
struck  Dick  a  heavy  blow  on  the  head,  and  he 
slid,  limp,  and  senseless  as  a  bag  of  grain,  out 
of  his  saddle  to  the  ground. 

Harry,  also,  had  started  to  go  to  Loretta's 
rescue ;  but  his  guard  had  been  too  watchful, 
and  had  caught  his  horse  by  the  reins  and 
pressed  his  revolver  so  threateningly  against 
his  side  that  Harry  was  forced  to  remain  a  spec- 
tator. Now,  when  he  saw  Dick  fall  from  his 
horse  as  if  he  were  dead,  his  horror  and  wrath 
were  so  great,  that,  in  spite  of  the  revolver,  he 
attempted  to  go  to  his  comrade's  aid.  At  his 
first  movement  the  man  dropped  the  reins,  and 
struck  Harry  a  brutal  blow  full  in  the  face, 
hurling  him  out  of  his  saddle  to  the  ground, 
where  he,  too,  lay  unconscious. 

When  Dick  and  Harry  again  became  sensi- 
ble of  their  surroundings  they  found  themselves 

lying  on  the  ground,  side  by  side,  with  their 

2c 


214  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

hands  bound  tightly  behind  their  backs.  There 
was  but  one  man  standing  guard  over  them 
and  their  horses.  Both  boys  struggled  to  their 
feet  at  once,  and  looked  eagerly  around,  anx- 
ious to  learn  what  had  become  of  Loretta  and 
the  two  other  men. 

"  There  she  is  ! "  Dick  cried  exultingly. 
"  See,  she  is  a  good  half  a  mile  ahead  of  the 
two  men,  and  they  are  losing  ground  all  the 
time.  They  will  never  catch  her —  The  cow- 
ards !  The  villains  !  To  shoot  at  a  girl !" 

White  puffs  of  smoke  shot  out  in  front  of 
the  two  horsemen  as  Dick  spoke.  Evidently 
they  had  discovered  that  Bonny  Bess  was 
fleeter  than  their  horses,  and  were  trying  to 
disable  the  pony  or  the  girl. 

"  Oh,  if  they  should  hit  Loretta  or  Bonny 
Bess!"  and  Harry's  face  grew  white  with  ap- 
prehension as  he  watched  the  desperate  race. 

Again  and  again  the  two  men  fired ;  but 
Bonny  Bess  kept  steadily  on,  and  her  brave 
rider  remained  firmly  seated  in  her  saddle,  her 
long  hair  flying  out  straight  behind,  her  form 
bent  forward  until  her  face  almost  touched  the 
pony's  neck,  urging  the  noble  little  beast  with 
voice  and  whip  and  spur  to  do  her  utmost. 
Loretta  was  riding  to  save  not  only  her  own  life 
but  also  the  lives  of  Dick  and  Harry  from  these 


Across  the  Devil's  Backbone         215 

desperate  men.  When  she  reached  the  brow 
of  the  divide,  near  the  great  rock  whence  they 
had  dashed  down  so  joyously  on  the  herd  of 
buffaloes,  she  halted  an  instant,  turned  in  her 
saddle,  and  waved  a  triumphant  good-by  to 
Dick  and  Harry.  The  next  moment  she  had 
vanished  over  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  was  lost 
to  the  sight  of  the  anxious  boys. 

The  two  men  now  gave  up  the  chase,  and, 
whirling  their  horses  around,  rode  swiftly  back. 

Dick  and  Harry  vainly  endeavoured  to  dis- 
cover why  they  had  been  thus  brutally  cap- 
tured ;  and  were  told  to  "  dry  up,"  and  to  get 
on  their  horses'  backs  "  mighty  sudden,  or — " 
and  the  oaths  and  threats  that  followed  made 
the  boys  shudder. 

The  thongs  binding  their  hands  behind 
their  backs  were  now  quickly  cut,  the  noose  of 
a  lariat  was  thrown  around  the  neck  of  each  of 
their  horses,  and  the  other  ends  of  the  ropes 
were  tied  to  the  pommels  of  two  of  the  men's 
saddles,  and  the  boys  ordered  to  mount. 

41  No  more  monkey  work,"  gruffly  com- 
manded the  leader,  as  soon  as  Dick  and  Harry 
were  in  their  saddles,  "  or  you  '11  be  needin* 
graves  mighty  sudden.  We're  bound  to  take 
you  boys  with  us,  dead  or  alive.  If  you  come 
willin'-like  you  '11  keep  alive  all  right ;  t'  other- 


216  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

wise  we  '11  strap  your  dead  carcasses  on  your 
horses  an'  bring  them  along.  We  ain't  time 
to  waste  no  more  time  foolin'.  Now,  follow 
close  behind  me,"  he  ordered,  turning  to  his 
two  companions,  who  sat  on  their  horses,  one 
by  the  side  of  each  boy  ;  "  an'  if  either  of  them 
kids  makes  a  move  to  escape  shoot  his  blamed 
head  off.  We  've  got  to  get  out  of  here  mighty 
sudden — consarn  that  cursed  gal  !  Come  on  " 
and,  striking  his  horse  with  his  quirt,  he  gal- 
loped off  toward  the  mountains,  followed  closely 
by  Dick  and  Harry  and  the  two  men. 

For  more  than  an  hour  they  rode  swiftly, 
steadily,  and  silently,  straight  toward  the  Span- 
ish Peaks,  whose  rugged  tops  could  be  seen 
dimly  cutting  the  far  western  horizon  ;  and  not 
for  an  instant  did  their  leader  slacken  his  speed 
until  they  reached  the  foot-hills,  where  the 
ground  soon  became  so  rough  and  rocky  that  he 
was  forced  to  go  more  slowly.  Now,  with  all 
possible  speed,  they  picked  their  way  around 
huge  rocks  and  over  loose  stones,  until,  at 
length,  they  came  to  where  a  small  stream  of 
water  had  cut  a  deep  ravine  through  the  rocky 
walls  between  two  towering  peaks,  making  a 
rough  yet  passable  roadway  in  among  the 
mountains.  Here  their  leader  halted. 

"  Now,  it 's  up  to  us,"  he  said,  "  to  play  a 


Across  the  Devil's  Backbone         217 

little  game  at  bluffin',  an'  naturally  make  that 
old  fox,  Captain  Kent,  an'  his  cowboys  think 
we  've  gone  into  th'  mountains  by  this  here  pass. 
Oh,  he  '11  trail  us  this  far  all  right,  in  spite  of 
the  hard  rock  we  've  been  ridin'  over.  There 
ain  't  an  Indian  that  can  f oiler  a  trail  like  him  ; 
an'  we  Ve  got  to  fool  him  someway,  or  he  '11  be 
down  on  us  long  before  we'll  be  issuin'  any 
pressin'  invites  for  him  to  come." 

The  three  men  held  a  short  consultation  to- 
gether, and  then  all  rode  into  the  ravine.  The 
ground  here  was  solid  rock,  and  the  horses' 
feet  apparently  left  no  marks  on  its  hard  sur- 
face. One  of  the  men  pulled  Dick's  scarf  from 
his  neck,  and  dropped  it  just  within  the  en- 
trance of  the  ravine.  The  scarf  caught  on  a 
sharp  point  of  rock  and  hung  there.  A  little 
farther  on  a  narrow  strip  of  sand  spread  itself 
across  the  roadway,  which  plainly  registered 
the  imprint  of  their  horses'  hoofs  as  they  passed 
over  it.  The  three  men  smiled,  as  they  looked 
back  and  saw  these  "  signs."  Surely  Captain 
Kent  would  have  no  difficulty  in  discovering 
that  they  had  gone  into  the  ravine.  At  the 
end  of  about  a  half  a  mile  they  came  to  where 
the  road  crossed  a  great  flat  rock,  worn  smooth 
by  the  water  during  flood  time,  and  so  hard 
that  there  was  little  likelihood  of  the  hoofs  of 


218  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

the  horses  leaving  any  marks  on  it.  Here 
they  halted  and  the  three  men  at  once  dis- 
mounted. From  their  saddle-bags  they  took 
heavily-padded  deerskin  mittens,  made  to  fit 
over  their  horses'  hoofs.  These  they  firmly 
tied  on  the  feet  of  their  horses,  and  also  on 
the  feet  of  the  horses  of  Dick  and  Harry. 
Then  they  remounted,  and  began  to  ride  very 
carefully  and  cautiously  back  out  of  the  ra- 
vine. When  they  came  to  the  strip  of  sand, 
one  of  the  men  dismounted  after  they  had 
crossed,  and  with  the  utmost  care  effaced  all 
marks  made  by  their  horses'  feet  in  recrossing 
the  sand.  At  the  entrance  to  the  ravine  their 
caution  was  extreme  ;  and,  so  far  as  Dick  and 
Harry  could  discover,  they  passed  out  without 
leaving  a  sign  behind  that  would  tell  even  the 
keen  eyes  of  Captain  Kent  that  they  had  not 
continued  on  in  the  ravine. 

A  half  an  hour  later  they  came  to  a  deep,  nar- 
row canyon,  torn  out  of  the  solid  walls  of  rock. 

"  Now,  I  calculate  that  that  old  fox  can't 
trail  us  to  this  hole  nohow,"  their  leader  said, 
pausing.  "  We '  11  jest  ride  in  here  ;  an'  soon 
we '  11  be  where  all  th'  cowboys  in  creation 
can't  get  at  us.  Now,  be  careful.  'T  won't 
do  to  leave  our  cards  in  the  vestibule  to  this 
here  rocky  castle.  Hi  ! " 


Across  the  Devil's  Backbone         219 

His  keen  eyes  had  suddenly  caught  sight  of 
Harry  twisting  off  one  of  the  white  buttons 
from  his  shirt.  He  wore  no  coat.  With  an 
oath  he  spurred  up  his  horse  close  to  the  boy's 
side,  and  glanced  sharply  at  the  shirt.  Three 
of  the  buttons  were  gone. 

"  You  blamed  wall-eyed  idiot,  why  don't  you 
keep  your  eyes  open  ?  "  and  he  turned  savagely 
on  the  man  who  rode  by  the  side  of  Harry. 
"  Can't  you  see  that  that  kid '  s  tryin'  to  leave 
tracers  behind  ?  If  Captain  Kent's  eyes  hit 
one  of  those  buttons  he '  11  be  on  our  trail  like 
a  shot.  Tie  them  kids'  hands  tight  behind 
their  backs.  I  '11  take  no  more  chances." 

Dick  and  Harry  did  not  say  a  word.  There 
are  times  when  a  wise  boy  will  keep  his  mouth 
tight  shut,  and  both  boys  felt  that  this  was  one 
of  those  times.  But  Harry  remembered  with 
satisfaction  the  three  buttons  he  had  dropped, 
and  Dick  thought  pleasantly  of  a  small  pocket 
comb  and  a  little  round  pocket  mirror  that  he 
had  allowed  to  slip,  cautiously,  from  his  hand 
to  the  ground,  the  mirror  not  a  dozen  rods  back 
and  the  comb  just  after  they  had  left  the  ravine. 

As  soon  as  the  boys'  hands  had  been  tied 
behind  their  backs  the  journey  was  resumed. 

The  way  now  led  along  the  precipitous  side 
of  the  canyon  ;  and  they  had  not  gone  more 


22O  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

than  a  hundred  yards  when  they  came  to 
where  the  only  passageway  lay  across  a  narrow 
shelf  of  projecting  rocks,  not  more  than  three 
feet  wide,  with  the  perpendicular  wall  of  the 
canyon  on  one  hand  and  a  chasm  hundreds 
of  feet  deep  on  the  other.  Here  the  leader 
stopped  and  ordered  the  mittens  to  be  re- 
moved from  the  horses'  feet.  This  done  he 
rode  slowly  across  the  shelf  of  rock,  and  called 
back  for  the  two  men  to  follow  with  the  boys. 

The  faces  of  Dick  and  Harry  whitened  a  little 
when  they  saw  their  guards  unfasten  the  ends 
of  the  lariats,  whose  nooses  it  will  be  remem- 
bered were  around  the  necks  of  the  boys' 
horses,  from  the  pommels  of  their  saddles,  and 
grip  them  in  their  hands.  The  men  evidently 
had  no  intention  of  being  pulled  after  the 
horses  of  the  boys'  should  the  animals  go  over 
the  precipice. 

"  There,  sonny,  now  I  reckon  I  'm  all  right, 
even  if  you  do  tumble  into  that  hell-hole," 
remarked  Harry's  guide  cheerfully.  "  Get 
along  with  you,"  and  he  struck  Harry's  horse 
a  blow  with  his  whip,  and  forced  him  to  take 
the  narrow  shelf  of  rocks.  "  This  ain't  nothin' 
to  what  you  '11  see  when  we  gets  to  th'  Devil's 
Backbone,"  he  added  by  way  of  encourage- 
ment. 


Across  the  Devil's  Backbone         221 

Fortunately  this  was  not  the  first  time  that 
Jack,  Harry's  horse,  had  been  in  the  moun- 
tains ;  and  though  Harry  shuddered,  and  grew 
very  white,  and  held  his  breath,  and  did  not 
dare  glance  downward  for  an  instant,  there 
was  really  but  little  danger,  so  long  as  the 
horse  was  sure-footed  and  not  frightened.  In 
two  minutes  Harry  and  his  guard  were  safe  on 
the  other  side  ;  and  in  two  minutes  more  Dick 
and  the  other  man  were  by  their  sides. 

"  Say,  when  we  come  to  the  next  shelf  in  the 
sky  like  that,"  Dick  said,  indignantly,  "just 
untie  a  fellow's  hands.  We  could  n't  have 
helped  ourselves  if  the  horses  had  stumbled 
and  went  over,"  and  he  shuddered,  as  his  eyes 
looked  down,  down  to  where  a  huge  pile  of 
jagged  rocks  lay  hundreds  of  feet  below  on 
the  bottom  of  the  chasm. 

"  Reckon  '  t  would  n't  have  done  no  special 
harm  if  you  an'  your  horse  had  went  plumb  to 
th'  bottom,"  laughed  one  of  the  men.  "  But, 
as  Mike  there  says,  this  ain't  nothin'  to  th' 
Devil's  Backbone  ;  so  jest  hold  your  courage 
till  we  gets  there." 

Something  like  a  half  a  mile  farther  on  the 
canyon  opened  up  into  a  small  valley,  com- 
pletely enclosed  by  precipitous  walls  of  rocks, 
which  were  here  and  there  rent  by  ragged 


222  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

chasms  and  deep  gorges.  They  rode  straight 
across  this  valley  to  where  the  steep  sides  of  a 
canyon  cut  a  huge  slice  out  of  the  rocky  walls, 
and  stopped  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice,  that 
shot  straight  down  for  full  five  hundred  feet. 

Doubtless,  in  ages  now  long  since  gone,  this 
little  valley  had  been  the  bed  of  a  lake  which, 
fed  from  the  surrounding  mountains,  poured 
its  waters  out  through  this  canyon,  chiselling  a 
pathway  through  the  walls  of  solid  rock.  It 
was  an  impressive  sight ;  and  Dick  and  Harry, 
young  as  they  were,  felt  the  awful  grandeur  of 
the  scene,  as  they  sat  on  their  horses'  backs 
and  looked  dojvn  over  the  brink  of  this  dead 
Niagara  of  a  dead  past. 

Midway  from  the  brink  of  the  precipice  ran 
a  narrow  wall  of  rock,  not  more  than  four  feet 
wide  at  its  top  and  continuing  straight  down 
to  the  bottom  of  the  canyon,  five  hundred  feet 
below.  This  wall  was  some  fifty  feet  long, 
and  extended  from  the  brink  of  the  precipice 
to  a  huge  mass  of  rocks  rising  near  the  centre 
of  the  canyon,  from  which  a  broad  but  steep 
and  rough  roadway  ran  to  the  bottom  of  the 
canyon.  That  narrow  ridge  of  rock,  a  scant 
four  feet  wide  at  the  top,  with  a  sheer  precipice 
five  hundred  feet  in  depth  yawning  on  either 
side,  was  the  only  doorway  to  the  canyon.  All 


Across  the  Devil's  Backbone         223 

who  entered  must  cross  this  fearful  portal,  not 
inappropriately  called  the  Devil's  Backbone. 

For  some  two  or  three  minutes  all  sat  silent 
on  their  horses,  contemplating  this  awesome 
scene  ;  then  the  leader  placed  his  fingers  to  his 
lips  and  gave  a  shrill  whistle,  twice  repeated. 
Hardly  had  the  echoes  of  the  whistle  died 
away  when  a  man,  holding  a  Winchester  in  his 
hand  and  with  a  couple  of  six-shooters  in  his 
belt,  stepped  out  from  behind  a  rock  that  stood 
near  the  far  end  of  the  Devil's  Backbone. 

"  What  seek  you  ?  "  challenged  the  man. 

"The  treasure  of  kings,"  answered  the  leader. 

"  Pass,"  responded  the  man,  dropping  his 
rifle  at  a  rest  to  the  ground. 

"  Untie  them  kids'  hands,"  ordered  the 
leader,  turning  to  Dick's  and  Harry's  guards, 
"  an'  follow  me  across  th'  Devil's  Backbone, 
each  man  ridin'  behind  one  of  the  boys.  Now," 
and  he  looked  at  Dick  and  Harry,  "  keep  your 
heads  steady  and  a  firm  grip  on  the  reins,  or," 
and  he  pointed  suggestively  to  the  bottom  of 
the  canyon,  "  there  '11  be  fresh  food  for  th'  vul- 
tures down  yonder." 

Dick  and  Harry  both  shuddered.  A  ride 
across  that  narrow  ridge  of  rock,  reaching  like 
a  plank  out  into  the  air  five  hundred  feet 
above  the  ground,  was  not  a  pleasant  prospect 


224  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

to  contemplate.  A  misstep  of  the  horse,  a 
moment  of  uncontrollable  dizziness  on  the 
part  of  the  rider — and  both  would  be  whirling 
through  those  fearful  depths,  down  to  the 
rocks  five  hundred  feet  below. 

Without  any  hesitancy  whatever  the  leader 
rode  slowly  across  the  Devil's  Backbone. 

"  Now,  it 's  your  turn.  Get  along  with  you," 
Dick  was  commanded. 

The  face  that  Dick  turned  to  Harry  was 
white  ;  but  the  eyes  were  steady,  and  the  hand 
that  gripped  the  reins  of  his  bridle  did  not 
tremble. 

"Just  fancy  it's  but  five  feet  above  the 
ground  and  it  will  be  dead  easy,  Harry,"  he 
said,  smiling  bravely.  "  I  am  sure  we  can  make 
it  all  right.  Now,  I  am  going  to  see  how 
it  would  seem  to  be  riding  a  horse  through  the 
air  five  hundred  feet  above  the  ground,"  and 
he  rode  his  pony  toward  the  Devil's  Backbone. 
But  the  horse,  at  sight  of  the  hideous  depths 
on  either  side  of  the  narrow  passageway, 
reared  and  plunged,  and  at  last  balked,  with 
his  braced  front  feet  on  the  entrance  to  that 
fearsome  bridge.  In  vain  Dick  plied  his  whip 
and  spur.  The  horse  would  not  budge  an  inch, 
either  backward  or  forward. 

"  Hold  on  tight!"  yelled  one  of  the  men. 


Across  the  Devil's  Backbone         225 

"  Now,  get,  you  brute  ! "  and  he  brought  down 
his  whip  with  all  his  strength  on  the  butt  of 
the  balking  horse. 

Harry  gasped  with  horror,  for,  to  his  startled 
eyes,  it  seemed  as  if  the  terrified  horse  leaped 
straight  out  over  into  the  yawning  gulf.  But 
no —  with  a  tremendous  jerk  on  the  rein  Dick 
pulled  him  around  sufficiently  for  his  front  feet 
to  strike  the  ridge  ;  but  so  narrow  was  the  mar- 
gin of  safety  that  both  hind  feet  hung  over  the 
abyss,  and,  for  one  awful  moment,  it  looked  as 
if  the  rider,  as  well  as  the  horse,  must  go  down. 
And  so  he  would  have  done,  had  not  their  mo- 
mentum been  so  great  that  the  forepart  of  the 
horse  was  thrust  forward  on  the  ridge  and  re- 
mained there,  struggling,  long  enough  for  Dick 
to  jump  from  the  saddle  over  the  horse's  neck 
to  the  top  of  the  Devil's  Backbone.  The  mo- 
ment Dick  was  safe  on  his  feet  he  caught  the 
reins  in  both  hands,  and  endeavoured  to  help 
the  horse  up  on  the  rocks  ;  but  in  vain.  For  a 
moment  longer  the  brute  struggled  desperately; 
and  then  the  front  feet  slipped  off,  and,  with 
a  terrible  scream  of  agony,  the  horse  plunged 
down. 

Dick,  with  a  cry  of  horror,  let  go  the  reins, 
and  ran  quickly  across  the  Devil's  Backbone. 

Harry,  during  those  fearful  moments  while 


226  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

the  horse  and  Dick  struggled  on  the  edge  of 
that  dreadful  precipice,  grew  deathly  sick  with 
the  horror  of  the  sight  and  so  weak  he  could 
hardly  sit  his  horse  ;  but,  when  all  was  over 
and  Dick  safe  on  the  other  side  of  the  Devil's 
Backbone,  and  the  horse  food  for  vultures 
at  the  bottom  of  the  gulf,  he  turned  on  the  man 
who  had  struck  the  horse,  his  face  white  with 
wrath  and  his  eyes  blazing  with  indignation. 

"You  brute!"  he  cried.  "You  cowardly 
brute ! "  and,  doubling  up  his  fist  and  striking 
his  spurs  into  Jack's  flanks,  he  leaped  to  the 
side  of  the  man  so  suddenly  and  unexpectedly 
and  landed  such  a  tremendous  blow  on  his 
right  eye  so  quickly  and  so  strongly  that  the 
man  was  hurled  from  his  saddle  to  the  ground, 
almost  before  he  knew  what  was  happening. 

The  man  leaped  to  his  feet,  his  eyes  glaring 
and  his  right  hand  going  to  the  butt  of  his 
six-shooter.  Harry,  blind  with  wrath,  jumped 
from  his  saddle,  and  sprang  on  the  man,  just 
as  his  hand  was  drawing  the  revolver  from  its 
holster,  and  struck  him  another  blow,  delivered 
with  all  the  strength  of  his  vigorous  right  arm, 
on  the  already  bloodshot  and  half-blinded  right 
eye.  The  man  went  down ;  and  Harry  was 
on  top  of  him  before  he  could  again  struggle 
to  his  feet. 


Across  the  Devil's  Backbone         227 

"  There,  there,  that  will  do,  you  rambunc- 
tious wildcat ! "  and  the  heavy  hand  of  Mike 
gripped  Harry  by  the  shoulders  and  yanked 
him  off  the  prostrate  man.  "  Just  keep  your 
fingers  off  that  six-shooter,  Bill.  Reckon  th' 
horse  '11  be  'bout  all  you  '11  care  to  settle  for 
with  th'  Captain,  without  addin'  th'  boy  to  th' 
account.  You  was  a  brute,  Bill,  an'  deserve 
th'  thumpin'  you  got.  Jumpin'  coyotes,  you 
can  hit,  for  a  kid  !  Bill  went  out  of  his  sad- 
dle like  a  chunk  of  lead  out  of  a  gun,"  and 
Mike  admiringly  regarded  Harry,  who  now 
stood,  white  and  panting,  with  fists  still 
clenched,  watching  Bill  with  eyes  blazing 
wrath  and  defiance. 

Bill  slowly  got  on  his  feet,  sullenly  re- 
mounted his  horse,  and,  without  uttering  a 
word,  rode  across  the  Devil's  Backbone. 

"  Better  ride  your  horse  close  behind  him," 
advised  Mike.  "  Th'  brute  '11  not  be  so  apt  to 
balk." 

Harry  quickly  jumped  into  his  saddle ;  and 
Jack,  with  a  brisk  pricking  up  of  his  ears,  fol- 
lowed Bill's  horse  unhesitatingly  across  the 
narrow  bridge  ;  and  he,  in  turn,  was  followed 
closely  by  Mike. 

"  Well,  I  calculate  we  's  safe  and  sound  as 
yearlin'  colts  now,  boys,"  the  leader  remarked, 


228  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

eyeing  the  Devil's  Backbone,  thankfully. 
"  Even  if  Captain  Kent  trails  us  here,  he  can't 
get  across  that  bridge  of  death  so  long  as 
Twig  an'  Bud  here  are  behind  their  guns,"  and 
he  glanced  at  two  heavily-armed  men,  who, 
standing  behind  an  impenetrable  rampart  of 
rocks,  looked  able  to  keep  a  regiment  of  sol- 
diers from  crossing  the  Devil's  Backbone. 
"  An'  bein'  this  is  th'  only  way  into  this  canyon, 
I  calculates  that  your  friends  won't  be  callin' 
on  you  none  too  soon,"  and  he  grinned  pleas- 
antly at  Dick  and  Harry. 

Dick  was  now  mounted  behind  Harry;  and 
they  rode  on  down  the  canyon,  which  wormed 
its  way,  like  the  trail  of  some  huge  snake,  be- 
tween perpendicular  walls  of  rock  hundreds  of 
feet  high.  Presently  the  canyon  made  an 
abrupt  turn ;  and  they  entered  a  narrow  rock- 
enclosed  valley,  with  a  small  stream  of  water 
running  through  its  centre.  On  the  bank  of 
this  stream  a  dozen  rough-looking  men  were 
encamped.  In  a  few  minutes  more  they  had 
reached  the  camp,  and  were  greeted  noisily 
by  the  men.  Dick  and  Harry  were  now  in 
the  mountain-stronghold  of  their  captors. 


CHAPTER  XX 

BLACK   JUAN    KEEPS    HIS    PROMISE 

AFTER  Loretta  and  the  boys  had  ridden 
away,  Abel  Johnson  and  Captain  Kent 
seated  themselves  on  the  porch  for  a  long 
quiet  talk  together.  They  were  old  friends, 
and  there  were  many  things  each  wished  to 
tell  the  other.  Besides,  there  was  the  expedi- 
tion to  the  hermit's  treasure  cave,  which  was  to 
start  on  Monday,  that  needed  talking  over. 

41  There  is  one  of  your  cowboys,  Abel," 
Captain  Kent  said,  when  the  question  of  who 
should  accompany  the  expedition  was  being 
considered,  "  that  I  do  not  care  to  have  with 
us.  I  mean  the  Mexican,  Black  Juan.  I  do 
not  like  him.  He  does  not  have  the  eyes  of 
an  honest  man.  I  would  not  trust  him.  An- 
other thing  :  I  do  not  believe  he  is  any  more 
of  a  Mexican  than  I  am.  I  have  known  a 
great  many  Mexicans  ;  and,  somehow,  I  can't 
make  Black  Juan  seem  like  a  real  one.  I  can't 
give  any  good  reason  why,  but  that  's  the  way 

2  £ 


230  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

I  feel,  Abel ;  and  I  don't  want  that  man  with  us 
when  we  go  after  the  treasure." 

"  Well,  you  are  not  th'  only  one  that  don't 
like  Mexico,"  Abel  Johnson  laughed.  "Cow- 
boy Jim  says  that  he  thinks  of  snakes  every 
time  he  sees  his  eyes  ;  an'  I  don't  savvy  him 
none  much.  He  throws  too  much  soaped  rope 
for  my  style ;  and  I  don't  think  none  of 
takin'  him  with  us.  He  '11  be  needed  plenty 
on  th'  ranch.  But  I  reckon  he 's  a  Mexican  all 
right.  At  least  he's  got  th'  brag  an'  slick 
tongue  of  one." 

"  Well,  maybe  I  am  a  little  too  suspicious," 
Captain  Kent  admitted  ;  "  but,  when  I  think 
of  the  vast  treasure  of  gold  and  jewels  hidden 
in  the  hermit's  cave,  and  of  what  would  happen 
if  some  of  the  desperadoes  in  this  section  of 
the  country  should  learn  of  its  existence  and 
that  we  were  after  it,  I  feel  that  we  can't  be 
too  careful,  Abel.  Why,  there  must  be  mil- 
lions of  dollars  worth  of  treasure  in  that  cave ; 
and  what  would  our  lives  be  worth  if  Kid  Dai- 
ton,  or  other  ruffians  of  his  stripe,  should  hear 
of  it  ?  They'd  get  the  treasure  if  they  had  to 
kill  every  one  of  us.  We  must  take  no  one 
with  us  whom  we  would  not  trust  with  our 
lives,  for  it  may  come  to  that  very  issue." 

For  a  couple  of  hours  longer  the  two  men 


Black  Juan   Keeps  his  Promise       231 

sat  on  the  porch,  carefully  considering  and 
planning  the  best  way  to  get  the  treasure 
safely  from  the  cave.  So  interested  were  they 
that  they  took  little  note  of  the  passing  of 
the  time,  and  it  was  nearing  the  noon  hour, 
when,  suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  a  heated  dis- 
cussion of  a  controverted  point,  Abel  Johnson 
leaped  to  his  feet,  with  an  exclamation,  and, 
throwing  his  left  hand  up  to  his  brow,  stared 
out  from  under  it  across  the  plains,  his  agita- 
tion becoming  greater  every  moment. 

"  My  God,  David ! "  he  cried,  pointing  to 
where  a  distant  figure  was  racing  across  the 
plains  toward  the  ranch,  "Chat's  my  little  gal, 
an'  she 's  alone,  an'  ridin'  Bonny  Bess  as  if  for 
life  !  What  can  have  happened  ?  What  can 
have  happened  ?  Quick,  follow  me  ! "  and  Abel 
Johnson  leaped  from  the  porch,  and  ran  down 
the  hill  to  meet  Loretta,  for  the  flying  figure 
was  hers,  riding  Bonny  Bess  as  fast  as  voice 
and  whip  could  urge  that  noble  little  beast 
to  go. 

Captain  Kent  jumped  quickly  to  his  feet, 
glanced  in  the  direction  of  the  fast-coming 
pony  and  rider,  and  then  followed  swiftly  after 
Abel  Johnson,  his  face  going  white  with  anx- 
iety. Loretta  alone,  and  riding  as  fast  as  she 
could  make  her  pony  go,  could  mean  but  one 


232  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

thing — something  had  happened  to  Dick  and 
Harry! 

The  moment  Loretta  met  her  father,  she 
jumped  from  her  saddle  into  his  arms. 

"  Quick  —  papa —  Captain  Kent  —  hurry  — 
Dick  and  Harry  are  captured  ! "  she  cried  as 
her  arms  went  round  her  father's  neck.  "  Save 
them,  oh,  save  them,  papa ! "  and  she  began  to 
sob. 

"  Loretta,"  and  Captain  Kent  seized  the  ex- 
cited girl  by  the  shoulder,  "  Loretta,  for  Dick's 
and  Harry's  sake  control  yourself,  and  tell  us 
as  quickly  as  possible  just  what  has  happened. 
We  must  know,  or  we  cannot  help  them." 

For  a  minute  or  two  Abel  Johnson  held  her 
close  to  his  bosom,  fondly  caressing  her  and 
murmuring  words  of  endearment  in  her  ears  ; 
and  then,  gently  withdrawing  her  arms  from 
his  neck,  he  said  :  "  David  is  right,  little  gal. 
Now,  tell  us  quickly  what  has  happened  to 
Dick  and  Harry." 

Then  Loretta  told,  as  well  as  she  could  in 
her  excitement,  how  they  had  suddenly  found 
themselves  confronted  by  the  three  ruffians, 
with  six-shooters  levelled  at  their  heads,  how 
the  boys  had  been  forced  to  give  up  their  rifles, 
and  how  she,  taking  advantage  of  the  careless- 
ness of  her  captor,  had  escaped,  owing  to  the 


Black  Juan  Keeps  his  Promise       233 

fleetness  of  Bonny  Bess,  although  she  had 
been  chased  far  by  two  of  the  men,  who  had 
shot  many  times  at  her  when  they  found  that 
they  could  not  recapture  her,  and  she  showed 
the  holes  in  her  dress  through  which  two 
rifle  balls  had  passed. 

Before  Loretta  had  finished  with  her  story 
Captain  Kent  was  running  back  to  the  ranch- 
house.  He  knew  that  every  instant  of  time 
was  priceless  ;  for,  if  possible,  the  boys  and 
their  captors  must  be  overtaken  before  they 
reached  the  mountains,  where  it  would  be  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  to  follow  their  trail.  As  he 
ran  he  called  back  to  Abel  Johnson  to  get 
together  a  dozen  cowboys  and  follow  after  him 
as  quickly  as  possible.  In  ten  minutes  more 
he  was  armed  and  mounted,  and  riding  as  fast 
as  his  horse  could  carry  him  toward  the  place 
where  the  boys  had  been  captured. 

Abel  Johnson  wasted  no  time.  He,  too, 
thoroughly  understood  the  value  of  every  mo- 
ment. As  he  raced  back  to  the  ranch-house 
he  shouted  :  "  Ring-  the  alarm  bell !  Arm  and 

o 

mount  as  quickly  as  possible  !  Do  not  waste 
a  moment !  Every  man  that  can,  follow  me  ! " 
and  he  rushed  into  the  house  to  get  his 
weapons. 

Cowboy    Jim    heard    the    command,    and 


234  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

jumped  for  the  bell-rope  of  the  great  bell  that 
hung  from  the  top  of  a  high  pole  which  stood 
in  front  of  the  ranch-house  ;  and  in  another 
moment  its  loud  peals  were  sounding  across 
the  plains,  summoning  every  cowboy  within 
hearing  to  the  house. 

In  a  surprisingly  short  space  of  time  Abel 
Johnson  sat  on  his  big  gray  horse,  with  a  dozen 
armed  and  mounted  cowboys  crowding  ex- 
citedly around  him.  In  a  few  words  he  told 
of  the  capture  of  Dick  and  Harry,  and  of  the 
need  of  the  utmost  haste,  if  they  would  rescue 
the  boys  before  the  robbers  reached  the  moun- 
tains with  them. 

"  We  're  your  men  till  th'  last  hoss  drops  an' 
th'  last  grain  of  gunpowder  is  burnt,"  declared 
Red  Hank,  fiercely  gripping  his  rifle.  We're 
plumb  bound  to  save  Dick  an'  Harry,  no  matter 
who  or  what 's  got  them  ;  an'  if  a  hair  of  their 
heads  is  harmed  we  '11  make  somebody  howl 
worser  than  a  coyote." 

It  needed  but  a  glance  at  the  faces  of  the 
men  to  tell  that  Red  Hank  had  voiced  the  senti- 
ments of  all.  These  knights  of  the  plains  were 
ever  ready  to  risk  limb  and  life  to  help  a  com- 
rade in  trouble,  or  to  avenge  him,  if  too  late  to 
save  ;  and  now  they  were  on  fire  with  a  fierce 
longing  to  be  after  the  villains  who  had  dared 


Black  Juan  Keeps  his  Promise       235 

to  lay  violent  hands  on  Dick  and  Harry.  Even 
the  face  of  Black  Juan  looked  full  of  wrath 
and  determination,  and  he  swore  as  loud  as  any 
as  he  listened  to  Abel  Johnson's  story  of  the 
capture  of  the  boys. 

Abel  Johnson  was  about  to  give  the  com- 
mand to  start  when  Loretta  galloped  up  to  his 
side  on  Bonny  Bess.  Her  eyes  were  flashing. 

"  Papa,  let  me  go  with  you,"  she  urged.  "  I 
can  take  you  straight  to  the  spot  where  Dick 
and  Harry  were  captured ;  and  I  do  so  want 
to  do  something  to  help  Dick  and  Harry. 
Please  let  me  go,  papa  ! " 

"  No,  little  gal,"  and  her  father  turned  in  his 
saddle,  and,  throwing  one  arm  around  her, 
drew  her  close  to  his  side.  "  No,  little  gal,  you 
cannot  go.  I  want  to  know  that  my  little  gal 
is  safe  at  home,  waitin'  to  welcome  me  back, 
waitin'  to  welcome  Dick  an'  Harry  back.  Ohr 
we'll  bring  them  back  with  us,  never  fear. 
Now,  good-by,  little  love,"  and  he  lifted  her 
from  the  back  of  Bonny  Bess  and  for  a  minute 
held  her  close  in  his  great  arms,  while  his 
shaggy  beard  mingled  with  her  soft  dark  hair. 
When  he  restored  her  to  her  saddle  the  eyes 
of  both  were  moist. 

"Come  on!"  Abel  Johnson  shouted;  and, 
followed  by  his  brave  cowboys,  he  galloped 


236  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

after  Captain  Kent,  who  was  now  a  mile  or 
more  in  advance. 

Loretta  sat  on  the  back  of  Bonny  Bess  and 
watched  them,  until  they  had  passed  from  sight 
over  the  brow  of  a  distant  divide.  Then  she 
dismounted,  and,  without  removing  the  saddle 
or  bridle  from  Bonny  Bess,  seated  herself  on 
the  porch  of  the  ranch-house  and  began  to  cry. 

Bonny  Bess  looked  at  her  loved  mistress  for 
a  minute,  and  then,  trotting  up  close  to  where 
she  sat,  thrust  her  muzzle  softly  into  her  lap, 
as  much  as  to  say :  "  I  am  so  sorry,  too  ;  but  I  did 
all  that  I  could  to  help  you  and  the  boys." 

Loretta  flung  her  arms  affectionately  around 
the  pony's  neck.  "  Oh  !  Bonny  Bess  !  Dear, 
dear,  Bonny  Bess  ! "  she  sobbed.  "  What  has 
become  of  Dick  and  Harry  ?  Oh,  what  has  hap- 
pened to  them  ?  Can 't  we  do  something  to 
help  them  ?  Oh,  it  is  terrible  to  sit  here  wait- 
ing, doing  nothing,  when  —  when  their  very 
lives  may  be  in  danger.  Can  't  we  do  some- 
thing to  help  Dick  and  Harry?"  and  she 
buried  her  face  in  the  long  mane  of  Bonny 
Bess. 

"  I 's  sorry,  'deed  I  is,  Miss  'Retta,"  and  Bill 
Burke  stood  very  humbly  before  the  sobbing 
girl.  "  Massah  Dick  an'  Harry  bes'  frens  dis 
niggah's  got,  an'  now  dey's  done  gone  an'  got 


Black  Juan  Keeps  his  Promise       237 

captured  by  dem  white  rascallians.  I 's  berry 
sorry,  Miss  'Retta ;  but  don't  yo'  weep  no  mo'. 
Dem  boys  come  back  sho'.  I  nebber  did  seed 
no  such  boys  fo'  gettin'  out  ob  scrapes.  Dar 
ain't  no  white  trash  can  keep  Massah  Dick  an 
Harry  'less  dey  wants  to  stay  keeped  ;  no,  sah. 
Dem  boys  jes  scan  'lous  fo'  gettin'  out  ob 
troubles.  Dey  come  back  sho',  Miss  'Retta, 
'deed  dey  will,"  and  the  wrinkles  on  Bill 
Burke's  face  took  on  a  look  of  preternatural 
hopefulness. 

Loretta  smiled  through  her  tears.  Indeed, 
it  was  almost  impossible  to  look  at  Bill  Burke's 
face  without  smiling.  Besides,  his  homely 
honest  words  and  sympathy  had  cheered  her, 
and  reawakened  her  hopes.  She  knew  that 
Dick  and  Harry  were  brave,  keen-witted  boys, 
and  she  began  to  feel  quite  confident  that, 
even  if  Captain  Kent  and  the  cowboys  did  not 
rescue  them,  they  would,  somehow,  effect  their 
own  escape.  With  a  lighter  heart  she  turned 
to  answer  Bill  Burke,  and,  as  she  did  so,  her 
eyes  caught  sight  of  a  horseman  riding  swiftly 
across  the  plains  toward  the  ranch. 

"  Look,  Bill  Burke  ! "  she  exclaimed.  "  Look, 
some  one  is  riding  back.  Oh,  I  hope  they 
have  found  Dick  and  Harry,  and  he  is  coming 

to  tell  me  the  good  news.     I  can't  wait.      I  'm 

2.  F 


238  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

going  to  meet  him,"  and,  jumping  to  her  feet, 
she  sprang  on  the  back  of  Bonny  Bess ;  but 
she  did  not  ride  forth  to  meet  the  horseman. 
He  was  now  so  near  that  she  could  recognize 
him.  It  was  Black  Juan  ;  and  Loretta,  as  well 
as  some  others,  had  taken  a  particular  dislike 
to  Black  Juan.  Therefore  she  sat  still  in  her 
saddle  and  anxiously  awaited  his  coming,  in- 
stead of  riding  out  to  meet  him. 

Black  Juan  came  up  on  the  gallop,  and 
halted  his  pony  close  to  the  side  of  Bonny 
Bess.  His  face  wore  an  urgent  look,  as  if  his 
business  was  pressing  ;  but  he  did  not  forget 
his  politeness. 

"  Seftorita,"  he  said,  bowing  and  doffing  his 
hat,  "  I  from  the  seftor,  your  father,  come.  He 
would  have  you  ride  back  with  me  swiftly. 
The  trail  they  have  lost.  He  would  have  you 
show  where  were  captured  the  boys.  Of  value 
the  greatest  is  time.  He  would  have  you  come 
at  once.  You  are  mounted.  Shall  we  ride 
now,  seftorita  ?  " 

"  Yes,  oh,  yes  ! "  Loretta  exclaimed  excit- 
edly. "  I  am  ready.  Let  us  go  at  once,  this 
moment.  Oh,  why  did  not  papa  take  me  with 
him  as  I  wanted  him  to  ?  Hurry,  Black  Juan  ! 
Let  us  hurry  !  Get  up,  Bonny  Bess  !  We  are 
going  to  help  save  Dick  and  Harry.  Get  up  !  " 


Black  Juan  Keeps  his  Promise       239 

and  she  galloped  off,  urging  Bonny  Bess  to 
her  fastest  speed. 

Black  Juan  followed  swiftly  after  Loretta, 
his  eyes  glinting  and  his  face  smiling.  Black 
Juan  had  promised  himself  that  there  should 
be  no  lack  of  excitement  at  the  Lone  Hill 
ranch  ;  and  now  he  was  beginning  to  keep  his 
promise. 

Bill  Burke  stood  and  watched  Loretta  and 
Black  Juan  ride  away,  shaking  his  head  dubi- 
ously. "  Dis  niggah  don't  like  dat  black  Mex- 
ico nohow,"  he  muttered  to  himself.  "  Dar's 
de  dcbbel  peekin'  out  ob  his  two  eyes.  I 's 
don't  like  Miss  'Retta  ridin'  off  wid  him,  all  by 
herself,  nohow.  It's  up  to  dis  niggah  to 
done  somefin'.  I '  s  gwine  to  follow  Miss 
'Retta  to  protect  her,"  and,  with  his  face 
wrinkled  up  into  a  look  of  stern  resolution, 
Bill  Burke  hurried  away  to  the  horse  corral, 
where,  fortunately,  he  found  a  pony,  that 
had  been  rejected  by  one  of  the  cowboys 
as  too  slow  for  the  chase  after  the  robbers, 
still  tied  to  a  post.  In  a  short  time  Bill  Burke 
had  a  saddle  and  bridle  on  this  pony  and  had 
cautiously  mounted  him,  still  having  a  very 
vivid  remembrance  of  his  flight  through  the  air 
from  a  similar-looking  back  not  longer  ago  than 
that  very  morning.  But,  again  fortunately, 


240  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

there  was  no  "  debbel "  in  this  pony's  back- 
bone ;  and  Bill  Burke,  plying  the  whip  vig- 
orously and  yelling  to  the  bronco,  galloped 
down  Lone  Hill,  just  as  Loretta  and  Black 
Juan  passed  over  a  distant  divide  and  vanished 
from  his  sight 


CHAPTER   XXI 

SCAR-FACE 

DICK  and  Harry  the  moment  they  halted 
in  the  stronghold  of  their  abductors 
stared  around  them  in  astonishment.  The 
narrow,  rock-enclosed  valley  had  an  unaccount- 
ably familiar  look.  Both  felt  sure  they  had 
seen  that  valley  before — but  when  ?  They 
glanced  around  anxiously,  seeking  some  more 
familiar  object  with  which  to  spur  up  their 
memories ;  and,  almost  at  the  same  instant, 
the  eyes  of  each  lad  fell  on  the  blackened 
ruins  of  an  enormous  tree,  which  lay,  stretched 
along  the  ground,  some  five  rods  farther  up  the 
valley. 

Dick  started  and  glanced  apprehensively  at 
Harry  ;  Harry  flashed  a  look  of  surprise  and 
fear  at  Dick  ;  and  then  both  boys  turned  their 
eyes  involuntarily  upward,  searching  the  face 
of  the  perpendicular  wall  of  rock  that  rose 
directly  opposite  the  spot  where  the  stump  of 
the  great  tree  showed  the  place  where  the 


242  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

mighty  monarch  of  the  forest  had  once  stood. 
Some  two  hundred  feet  above  the  ground  their 
eyes  rested  on  a  round  black  spot,  hardly  vis- 
ible from  below ;  and  again  the  eyes  of  each 
boy  sought  the  eyes  of  the  other. 

"  The  treasure  cave  !  "  whispered  Harry,  ex- 
citedly. "  Why  have  they  brought  us  here  ?  " 
and  his  face  grew  white  with  apprehension. 
"  Oh,  Dick,  can  they  know  that  the  treasure 
cave  is  in  this  valley,  and  have  brought  us  here 
to  force  us  to  tell  where  it  is  ?  " 

"  It  looks  like  it,"  Dick  replied,  his  voice 
trembling  with  the  agitation  the  discovery  of 
their  whereabouts  had  caused  him.  "  This  is 
certainly  Blind  Canyon  ;  and  we  are  stand- 
ing almost  on  the  very  spot  where  the  In- 
dians built  their  camp-fire,  and  yonder  is  the 
very  pile  of  rocks  behind  which  Red  Panther 
and  his  warriors  hid  when  Captain  Kent  and 
the  cowboys  charged  up  the  valley ;  and,  oh, 
Harry  don't  you  remember  the  entrance  to 
Blind  Canyon  was  called  the  Devil's  Back- 
bone, and  how  careful  the  Indians  were  when 
they  brought  us  over  it?  We  can't  be  mis- 
taken. This  is  the  very  spot  where — where," 
Dick's  voice  choked,  "  where  my  father  saved 
us  from  the  Indians." 

"Hush!    Hush!     Don't   speak   so   loud!" 


Scar-Face  243 

suddenly  warned  Harry.  "We  are  being 
watched.  We  must  control  ourselves.  We 
must  not  let  them  know  that  we  were  ever  in 
this  valley  before  ;  and — and,  no  matter  what 
happens,  Dick,  we  must  not  tell  where  the 
treasure  is." 

"  Not  a  word,"  and  Dick's  jaws  came  to- 
gether with  a  snap.  "  Not  if  they  kill  us,  the 
cowards  !  Just  wait  until  Captain  Kent  and 
Abel  Johnson  and  the  cowboys  get  hold  of 
them  !  Be  careful  !  Here  they  come.  Now 
I  fancy  we  are  going  to  find  out  what  they 
brought  us  here  for." 

So  far  the  two  boys  had  stood  close  together 
by  the  side  of  their  horse,  and  quite  a  little  dis- 
tance away  from  the  men  who  had  been  hold- 
ing a  council  around  their  three  captors.  Now, 
two  of  the  men  left  the  council  and  walked 
hastily  toward  Dick  and  Harry. 

"  You  're  wanted,  young  feller,"  and  one  of 
these  men  clapped  his  hand  roughly  on  Dick's 
shoulder  and  led  him  away  to  where  the  men 
stood  awaiting  them. 

The  other  man  sat  down  on  the  ground 
near  Harry,  and  kindly  informed  him  that  he 
would  bore  a  hole  through  him  as  big  as  his 
fist  if  he  did  not  do  exactly  as  he  told  him  to. 
Harry  looked  at  him,  and  concluded  that  he 


244  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

would  not  give  him  a  chance  to  bore  that 
hole. 

As  Dick  and  his  companion  approached,  the 
men  threw  themselves  down  on  the  ground 
around  a  large  rock,  on  which  sat  a  huge, 
square-jawed,  evil-eyed  man,  with  a  great  scar 
running  diagonally  from  his  forehead  across 
his  left  eye  and  nose,  and  giving  his  face  a 
particularly  ferocious  look.  Dick  was  halted 
directly  in  front  of  this  man. 

"  Boy  " —  the  man  scowled  savagely  —  "  do 
you  want  to  be  shot  and  have  your  body 
thrown  into  that  river  to  feed  the  fish  ?  "  was 
the  rather  startling  query  he  propounded  to 
Dick. 

"  No,  sir,"  Dick  answered,  his  face  going 
white,  for  the  man  looked  as  if  shooting  boys 
would  be  a  most  pleasant  pastime  for  him. 

"Good,"  returned  the  man.  "Jest  hold  to 
that  idee,  and  't  will  save  us  a  lot  of  trouble. 
We  don't  hanker  none  to  kill  you  boys  ;  but, 
we  want  you  to  know,  right  from  the  word  go, 
that  we  ain't  running  no  Society  for  the  Pre- 
vention of  Cruelty  to  Children,  and  that  we 
had  just  as  soon  kill  you  as  to  eat  our  dinners, 
providing  we  was  satisfied  it  would  n't  disa- 
gree with  our  stomachs.  Savvy  ?  "  The  man 
leaned  forward  until  his  brutal  face  was  within 


Scar-Face  245 

two  feet  of  Dick's,  and  his  eyes,  glowing  like 
two  coals  of  fire,  looked  straight  into  the  eyes 
of  the  boy.  "  Show  us  where  that  treasure  is 
hid,"  he  roared,  "  and  not  a  hair  of  your  heads 
shall  be  harmed ;  refuse,  and,  by  heaven  !  I'  11 
shoot  you  where  you  stand,"  and  the  brute 
jerked  out  his  six-shooter  from  its  holster  and 
thrust  its  muzzle  within  two  inches  of  Dick's 
nose. 

Dick  recoiled  in  sudden  fright ;  and  then  he 
straightened  up  with  a  jerk,  threw  back  his 
head  defiantly,  and  looked  the  bully  straight 
in  the  eyes. 

"  Shoot,  you  coward  !  "  he  said.  "  Shoot  an 
unarmed  boy !  But,  just  as  sure  as  you  do, 
you  shall  hang  !  Remember,  you  shall  hang — 
hang ! "  and  Dick  actually  lifted  his  clinched 
fist  and  shook  it  in  the  man's  face.  "  Now, 
shoot,  you  bully  ;  for,  if  I  know  where  any 
treasure  is  hidden,  I  will  never  tell  you  nor 
any  of  your  cowardly  band  of  robbers." 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  look  on  Dick's 
face.  It  said  more  plainly  than  words  could, 
"  I  '11  die  before  I  '11  tell."  The  desperado's 
game  of  bluffing  had  failed  most  signally. 
Dick  would  not  scare. 

The  great  scar  on  the  man's  face  grew  red 

as  fire,  and  a  deadly  gleam  came  into  the  eyes 

2a 


246  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

behind  the  six-shooter.  It  was  not  pleasant 
to  be  called  a  coward  and  defied  before  his 
comrades  by  a  kid.  For  a  minute  it  looked 
as  if  the  man  would  shoot  Dick  where  he 
stood.  Then  he  lowered  the  revolver  and 
slid  it  back  into  its  holster.  If  he  killed  the 
boy  who  would  guide  them  to  the  treasure  ? 
Besides,  there  were  other  and  better  ways  than 
shooting  to  get  information  from  an  unwilling 
boy.  He  would  try  some  of  those  other  ways 
presently. 

"  Bring  the  other  kid  here ! "  he  called  to 
the  man  guarding  Harry. 

"  Don't  give  in,  Harry.  No  matter  what 
happens,  don't  give  in,  Harry,"  Dick  whispered, 
as  Harry  took  his  place  by  his  side. 

For  a  minute  the  man  on  the  rock  regarded 
the  two  boys  in  silence ;  and,  when  he  spoke, 
his  words  came  slowly,  as  if  he  wished  the 
boys  to  fully  comprehend  the  meaning  of  each 
word  spoken  before  he  uttered  the  next  one  ; 
and  the  look  on  his  face  gave  a  horrible  reality 
to  the  threats  with  which  he  emphasized  his 
demands. 

"  You  boys,"  he  began,  "  have  got  sand, 
and  don't  scare  worth  a  coyote ;  but  what 's 
the  use  of  sand  and  courage  in  a  case  like 
this  ?  You  are  absolutely  in  our  power ;  and 


Scar-Face  247 

Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson,  backed  by 
all  the  cowboys  in  Colorado,  can't  rescue  you, 
so  long  as  we  hold  the  Devil's  Backbone  ; 
and  two  men  can  hold  it  against  a  regiment  of 
soldiers.  Now,  we  know  that  you  have  dis- 
covered an  enormous  treasure  somewhere  in 
this  canyon,  and  that  you  are  here  now  on 
purpose  to  get  it.  We  want  that  treasure, 
and  we  're  going  to  have  it,  and  we  ain't  much 
time  to  do  any  fooling  with  you  about  it,  so 
I  '11  talk  to  you  straight  and  brief.  If  you  '11 
show  us  where  the  treasure  is,  we  '11  not  harm 
a  hair  of  your  heads,  and  we  '11  set  you  free 
the  moment  the  treasure  is  safe  in  our  hands, 
and  more,  we  '11  give  you  your  share  of  the 
treasure.  That 's  what  we  '11  do  if  you  're  sen- 
sible, and  I  call  it  a  square  and  right  deal  by 
you,  considering  the  circumstances. 

"  Now,  listen,  and  remember  I  ain't  talking 
none  but  what  we  's  all  plenty  willing  to  back 
up  with  deeds.  We  '11  give  you  exactly  two 
hours  to  ponder  over  this  proposition  ;  and  if, 
at  the  end  of  that  time,  you  are  willing  to 
agree  to  them  terms,  well  and  good.  If  you 
still  set  too  high  a  value  on  that  treasure  and 
refuse  to  tell  where  it  is,  we  '11  proceed  to  try 
our  patent  automatic  secret-extractors  on  you, 
and  brand  you,  like  we  do  all  kinds  of  calves 


248  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

in  this  country.  Bill,"  and  he  turned  to  one 
of  the  men,  "just  show  the  kids  the  kind  of 
tools  we  use." 

Bill  went  into  one  of  the  tents  which  were 
pitched  a  short  distance  back  from  the  stream 
of  water,  and  returned  in  a  few  minutes  with  a 
couple  of  branding  irons,  such  as  are  used  in 
the  cattle  country  for  branding  cows.  These 
he  handed  to  the  desperado. 

"  This,"  said  the  man,  still  speaking  slowly, 
as  he  held  out  the  smaller  of  the  two  irons  for 
the  inspection  of  Dick  and  Harry,  "  is  what  we 
brand  calves  with.  Now,  if  at  the  end  of  the 
two  hours  you  boys  are  still  thinking  more  of 
that  treasure  than  you  are  of  your  lives,  we  're 
going  to  heat  this  iron  red-hot,  and  brand  each 
one  of  you  on  your  right  cheek.  Then,  at  the 
end  of  ten  minutes,  we  're  going  to  ask  you 
again,  and,  if  you  still  refuse,  we  're  going  to 
brand  each  of  you  on  your  left  cheek,  so  that 
both  jaws  will  have  the  same  ornament  on 
them.  Then  we  're  going  to  give  you  exactly 
an  hour  to  discover  precisely  how  it  feels,  and 
to  let  the  burns  get  to  stinging  good,  when 
we  '11  ask  you  once  more.  This  time,  if  you 
refuse,  we  '11  bring  on  our  patent  automatic 
secret-extractor,"  and  he  held  out  the  larger 
of  the  two  irons  for  the  boys  to  observe. 


Scar-Face  249 

"  We  '11  heat  this  iron  red-hot,  bare  your 
backs  and  press  the  hot  iron  against  them, 
until  you  come  to  the  conclusion  that  your 
hides  are  worth  more  to  you  than  a  cave  full 
of  gold.  Now,  I  ain't  going  to  waste  any 
more  talk  on  you.  You  know  what 's  coming. 
Take  the  kids  away  and  spread-eagle  them. 
'T  will  help  them  to  understand  we  ain't  doing 
this  for  pleasure  none,  and  that  we  ain't  no 
intentions  whatsoever  of  being  balked  by  two 
obstinate  youngsters.  Take  them  away,"  and 
the  man  glared,  with  the  look  of  a  wild  beast 
in  his  eyes,  at  Dick  and  Harry. 

Two  men  at  once  conducted  Dick  and  Harry 
to  a  level  spot  of  ground  a  couple  of  rods  back 
from  the  camp-fire,  where  they  proceeded  to 
stake  them  out,  or  spread-eagle  them,  as  it  is 
sometimes  called.  This  was  done  by  forcing 
the  boys  to  lie  flat  on  their  backs.  Then  their 
arms  were  stretched  out  and  upward  as  far  as 
they  would  go,  a  sharpened  stake  driven  firmly 
into  the  ground  by  the  side  of  each  wrist,  and 
the  hands  tightly  fastened  to  these  stakes. 
Their  legs  were  also  stretched  and  spread,  and 
strongly  bound  to  similar  stakes  driven  into 
the  ground  close  to  their  ankles.  This  is  an 
exceedingly  uncomfortable  position  in  which 
to  be  compelled  to  remain  motionless  for  even 


250  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

a  few  minutes,  and  long  before  the  two  hours 
were  up,  Dick  and  Harry  felt  as  if  red-hot 
irons  were  being  run  up  and  down  along  the 
nerves  and  muscles  and  bones  of  their  arms 
and  legs  and  backs. 

"  Dick,"  Harry  said,  when  his  agony  had  be- 
come almost  unendurable,  "  how  much  longer 
do  you  suppose  we  Ve  got  to  lie  trussed  out  in 
this  fashion  ?  I  'm  getting  about  all  that  I 
can  stand." 

"  Don't  know,"  Dick  answered  grimly  ; 
"but  I  fancy  it  won't  be  much  longer.  Old 
Scar-face  is  getting  ready  for  business,"  and  he 
looked,  suggestively,  to  where  a  couple  of 
men  were  heating  the  branding  irons  in  a  fire 
that  had  been  built  not  two  yards  away  from 
where  they  lay.  "  What  answer  are  you  going 
to  make  him,  Harry?" 

The  two  boys  had  been  "staked"  close 
together,  and  were  able  to  carry  on  a  con- 
versation in  so  low  a  tone  of  voice  that 
the  two  men  at  the  fire  could  not  overhear 
them. 

"  Well,"  Harry  answered,  after  a  moment's 
consideration,  "  I  Ve  been  thinking  it  all  over, 
Dick,  and  it  seems  to  me  as  if  old  Scar-face 
had  got  an  air-tight  cinch  on  us.  We  can't 
escape — there 's  the  Devil's  Backbone  for  us 


Scar-Face  251 

to  cross.  And  Captain  Kent  and  the  cowboys, 
even  if  they  are  smart  enough  to  trail  us 
to  this  canyon,  can  't  rescue  us — there  's  the 
Devil's  Backbone  again  for  them  to  cross  in 
the  face  of  armed  men  behind  bullet-proof 
rocks.  So,  Dick,  I  think  we  might  just  as 
well  give  up  all  hopes  of  rescue  or  escape,  and 
look  the  alternatives  Scar-face  put  before  us 
square  in  the  face.  We  have  either  got  to  tell 
where  the  treasure  is,  and  be  given  our  free- 
dom ;  or  refuse,  and  be  slowly  tortured  to 
death.  I  look  for  no  mercy  from  these  men. 
They  are  Western  desperadoes,  the  most  cruel 
in  the  world.  They  know  that  we  know 
where  that  treasure  is,  and  they  are  going  to 
make  us  tell ;  or,  if  we  won't,  they  '11  try  all 
sorts  of  tortures  to  force  it  from  us,  even  to 
branding  and  burning  us  with  hot  irons,  as 
that  old  heathen,  Scar-face,  threatens.  They 
will  not  let  the  lives  of  two  boys  stand  between 
them  and  so  vast  a  treasure,  not  if  I  am  any 
judge  of  human  nature.  But  they  won't  kill 
us  until  they  have  given  up  all  hope  of  forcing 
the  secret  out  of  us ;  and  that 's  the  worst 
thing  about  it  all.  If  they  would  only  shoot 
us,  it  would  soon  be  over.  I  could  stand  that. 
But,"  and  Harry's  voice  faltered,  "those 
branding  irons !  To  have  the  hide  slowly 


252  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

burnt  off  you  with  them.  It  is  terrible! 
Dick  !  Dick  !  what  shall  we  do  ? " 

Before  Dick  could  answer,  Scar-face  strode 
up  to  where  they  lay,  and  stood  looking  gloat- 
ingly down  on  them. 

"  You  have  two  minutes  left,  boys,"  he  said, 
taking  out  his  watch  and  glancing  at  it.  "  Are 
the  branding  irons  ready  ? "  he  called  to  the 
two  men  at  the  fire. 

"  Yes,  an'  hot  enough  to  scorch  th'  hide  off 
a  rhinoceros,"  responded  one  of  the  men. 

"  Now,"  and  Scar-face  went  up  close  to 
Harry  and  bent  over  him  until  his  face  was 
within  two  feet  of  Harry's  face.  "  Now,  you 
know  exactly  what 's  going  to  happen  to  you, 
if  you  don't  give  us  the  answer  we  want ;  and 
it 's  going  to  happen  mighty  sudden.  I'  m  not 
going  to  ask  you  twice.  You  give  me  a 
straight  '  yes '  or  '  no ' ;  and  if  it 's  '  no,'  that 
hot  iron  goes  onto  your  cheek  the  moment  the 
word  is  out  of  your  mouth.  Do  you  under- 
stand ? "  and  the  red,  blood-shot,  wolfish  eyes 
glared  down  into  Harry's,  for  a  moment ;  and 
then  Scar-face  straightened  up  and  glanced  at 
his  watch. 

"Time  's  up  !  Bring  me  the  branding  iron." 
he  called  to  the  men  at  the  fire. 

One  of  the  men  instantly  hurried  to  his  side, 


Scar- Face  253 

with  the  smaller  of  the  two  branding  irons, 
heated  to  a  white  heat,  in  his  hand. 

Scar-face  grasped  the  branding  iron  in  his 
right  hand  and  held  the  glowing  surface  within 
a  foot  of  Harry's  cheek. 

Harry's  face  became  as  white  as  chalk,  and 
his  whole  body  began  to  tremble,  and  cold 
drops  of  sweat  stood  out  all  over  his  skin. 
His  eyes  swept  the  circle  of  surrounding  faces 
(the  men  had  all  crowded  around  to  see  the 
"  fun  ")  in  vain  for  a  look  of  sympathy — not  one 
of  them  but  would  have  been  glad  to  have 
held  the  iron  himself — and,  finally,  rested  on 
the  white  set  face  of  Dick ! 

The  sight  of  the  agony  on  Harry's  face,  and 
the  thought  of  that  hot  iron  hissing  through  the 
skin  and  flesh,  was  too  much  for  Dick,  and  he 
cried  out :  "  Tell  them,  Harry !  Tell  them 
where  the  treasure  cave  is  !  " 

Evidently  Scar-face  thought  that  this  was 
the  opportune  moment,  for,  bending  over 
Harry  and  holding  the  hot  iron  within  six 
inches  of  his  cheek,  he  demanded :  "  Will  you 
tell  where  that  treasure  is  hidden  ?  " 

At  that  moment  Harry's  courage  and  reso- 
lution got  its  second  wind,  as  it  were.  His  face 
flushed  angrily,  his  eyes  flashed  up  defiantly 

into   the   eyes   of   Scar-face,    and   he   yelled : 

2  H 


254  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  No ;  I  won't  tell  you,  you  cowardly  pack  of 
cutthroats !  Brand,  burn,  flay  me  alive  by 
inches ;  I  won't  tell  you  !  Do  you  hear  ?  I 
won't  tell  you  !  I  won't  tell  you  !  You  big, 
cowardly,  ugly-mugged  brute  !  Now  do  your 
worst ! "  and  Harry  glared  at  Scar-face. 

For  a  moment  Scar-face  was  disconcerted 
by  the  suddenness  and  vehemence  of  Harry's 
outbreak,  but  only  for  a  moment.  With  a 
horrible  oath  he  bent  forward  to  thrust  the  hot 
iron  against  Harry's  cheek ;  but,  before  the 
iron  touched  the  skin,  a  clatter  of  hoofs  was 
heard,  a  horseman  dashed  up,  and  Harry  heard 
a  familiar  voice  exclaim  angrily:  "What 
devilment  is  this?"  and  then  the  astounded 
boy  saw  Black  Juan  ride  up  to  within  a  rod  of 
where  he  lay ;  and  by  his  side  rode  Loretta 
on  Bonny  Bess,  her  hands  tightly  bound  be- 
hind her  back,  and  a  gag  in  her  mouth.  With 
a  curse  Scar-face  threw  the  heated  branding 
iron  aside,  and  straightened  up. 

"Release  those  boys,"  Black  Juan  com- 
manded. "  We  '11  not  do  any  branding  just 
yet.  I  have  other  plans.  Untie  the  girl  and 
take  the  gag  out  of  her  mouth,"  and  he  pointed 
to  Loretta.  "  You,  Bill,  stand  guard  over  the 
children.  Keep  the  three  of  them  close  to- 
gether. Let  them  do  all  the  talking  to  one 


Scar- Face  255 

another  they  please,  but  keep  your  eyes  on 
them  all  the  time.  The  rest  of  you  come  to 
the  Council  Rock.  I  have  matters  of  impor- 
tance to  lay  before  you,"  and,  jumping  from 
his  horse,  he  strode  away  to  the  great  flat 
rock,  whereon  had  sat  Scar-face  when  Dick 
had  been  summoned  before  him. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

ON   THE    TRAIL    OF    THE    ABDUCTORS 

WHEN  Captain  Kent  reached  the  spot 
where  Dick  and  Harry  had  been  cap- 
tured— the  carcass  of  the  buffalo  bull  still 
marked  the  place  —  he  paused  only  long 
enough  for  his  eyes  to  sweep  quickly  over  the 
ground  to  see  if  any  "signs"  had  been  left 
that  would  assist  him  in  discovering  who  the 
abductors  were  and  whither  they  had  gone. 
Almost  in  a  glance  his  quick  eyes  saw  where 
the  grass  had  been  trampled  down  by  the 
horses'  feet,  the  spots  where  Dick  and  Harry 
had  struck  when  they  had  been  knocked 
senseless  from  their  horses,  where  they  had 
lain  while  bound,  and  the  marks  that  had  been 
left  by  the  hoofs  of  Bonny  Bess  when  she  had 
so  nobly  leaped  away  with  her  mistress ;  and 
from  these  "signs"  he  read  all  that  had  hap- 
pened as  clearly  as  if  it  lay  before  him  printed  in 
the  pages  of  a  book.  But  this  was  all  he  could 
read  from  the  plains,  save  the  direction  and 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Abductors       257 

the  haste  in  which  the  abductors  had  departed 
with  their  captives ;  and  Captain  Kent,  with 
hardly  a  minute's  pause,  galloped  on,  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  trail  that  so  plainly  pointed 
toward  the  rocky  fastnesses  of  the  mountains. 

The  thought  that  Dick  and  Harry  were  in 
the  hands  of  desperadoes,  who,  somehow,  had 
learned  of  the  treasure  hidden  in  the  cave, 
gave  wings  to  Captain  Kent's  haste.  He 
knew  the  desperate  character  of  these  men. 
They  would  stop  at  nothing,  not  even  torture 
and  murder,  to  accomplish  their  purpose  ;  and 
if  Dick  and  Harry  had  the  grit  and  courage 
he  felt  quite  sure  they  possessed,  then,  indeed, 
they  were  in  the  most  deadly  peril,  unless  res- 
cued at  once. 

For  some  five  miles  the  trail  was  plain,  and 
Captain  Kent  had  no  difficulty  in  following  it, 
even  at  full  speed  ;  but,  at  the  end  of  that  dis- 
tance, the  way  became  so  rough  and  rocky 
that  he  was  compelled  to  ride  much  more 
slowly  and  even  to  dismount  occasionally  in 
order  to  be  sure  that  he  was  going  right. 
This  gave  Abel  Johnson  and  his  cowboys  a 
chance  to  overtake  him. 

"  Can  we  catch  them  before  they  reach  the 
mountains?"  Abel  Johnson  asked,  the  mo- 
ment he  rode  up. 


258  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  We  must,  if  possible,"  Captain  Kent  an- 
swered. "  Abel,  if  anything  should  happen  to 
Dick  and  Harry  I  could  never  forgive  myself. 
I  feel  almost  the  affection  of  a  father  for  the 
lads,  they  are  such  brave,  sturdy,  noble  fellows  ; 
and  how  could  I  ever  face  their  fathers  and 
mothers  ?  We  must  rescue  them,  no  matter 
at  what  cost  we  must  rescue  them,  Abel." 

But  the  trail  proved  very  difficult  to  follow, 
and  much  priceless  time  was  lost,  and  it  was 
fully  an  hour  after  Dick  and  Harry  and  their 
captors  had  returned  out  of  the  first  ravine 
they  had  entered  before  Captain  Kent  and 
Abel  Johnson  and  his  cowboys  stood  in  front 
of  its  rocky  gateway. 

"  Shall  we  go  on  now,  or  wait  here  until 
morning?"  asked  Abel  Johnson.  "It  is  al- 
ready within  an  hour  of  sunset ;  and  as  soon 
as  it  becomes  dark  it  will  be  impossible  for  us 
to  move  within  that  ravine." 

"We  will  go  on,"  replied  Captain  Kent 
quietly,  riding  into  the  ravine.  "  We  might 
come  upon  their  camp  before  it  gets  too  dark 
to  travel.  They  will  not  expect  us  to  follow 
them  into  the  mountains  to-night,  and,  there- 
fore, will  not  be  apt  to  keep  a  careful  guard. 
It  is  always  best  to  do  what  our  enemy  least 
expects  us  to  do.  Besides,  I  can't  remain 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Abductors       259 

idle —  What  is  that  ? "  and  Captain  Kent 
leaped  from  his  horse,  and  quickly  caught  up 
a  white  object  that  clung  to  the  jagged  point 
of  a  projecting  rock.  It  was  Dick's  neck- 
scarf  ;  and  Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson 
recognized  it  at  once. 

"  Thank  God,  that  proves  we  're  on  th'  right 
trail !  "  ejaculated  Abel  Johnson  fervently. 

But  Captain  Kent's  face  wore  a  troubled 
look,  and  he  examined  the  ground  around  the 
spot  where  the  scarf  was  found  very  carefully 
before  he  again  mounted. 

"  I  cannot  understand  how  their  captors 
could  be  so  careless  as  to  leave  so  plain  a 
sign  behind  them,"  he  said,  as  he  leaped 
into  the  saddle,  and  continued  on  down  the 
ravine;  "and  so  near  the  entrance,  too.  It 
almost  looks  as  if  it  had  been  left  purposely ; 
and  yet  Dick  might  have  cleverly  managed 
to  drop  it  unseen.  What  do  you  think, 
Jim?"  and  Captain  Kent  turned  to  Cowboy 
Jim,  who  was  now  riding  by  his  side. 

"  It  is  plumb  queer,"  Cowboy  Jim  answered, 
"an'  I  don't  understand  it  none,  unless  they 
felt  safe  an'  got  careless-like.  Anyway  we 
know  that  Dick  has  been  here,  and  that  's 
good  to  know — Hello!"  and  Cowboy  Jim 
jumped  from  his  saddle.  His  keen  eyes,  that 


260  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

had  never  left  the  ground  once  while  he  was 
talking,  had  caught  sight  of  a  little  white 
object  lying  off  a  short  way  to  one  side  of 
the  trail.  In  a  moment  more  the  object  was 
in  his  hand,  and  he  was  holding  it  up  for 
Captain  Kent  to  see. 

"One  of  the  buttons  off  Harry's  shirt!" 
Captain  Kent  exclaimed  joyfully.  "  It's  been 
twisted  off,  too.  Bully  for  the  boys !  They 
are  trying  to  leave  tracers  behind  them. 
But,"  and  here  his  face  clouded  again,  "  it 's 
too  far  from  the  trail  to  have  been  dropped, 
and  the  boy  would  not  have  tossed  it.  Any- 
way, as  you  say,  Jim,  it  shows  that  the  boys 
have  been  in  this  ravine,  and  that  we  're  on 
the  right  trail  so  far." 

A  short  distance  farther  on  they  came  to 
where  the  horses  had  plainly  left  the  im- 
print of  their  hoofs  in  the  narrow  strip  of 
sand  spread  across  the  bottom  of  the  ravine. 
Captain  Kent,  Abel  Johnson  and  Cowboy 
Jim  dismounted  and  examined  these  "signs" 
very  carefully. 

"  Them  's  th'  hoof-marks  of  Jack  an*  that 
pinto  that  Dick  rode,  sure  as  shootin'.  I 
would  know  them  anywhere,"  Cowboy  Jim 
declared.  "An'  they  're  pointin'  down  th' 
ravine,  so  I  reckon  we  're  on  th'  right  trail." 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Abductors       261 

Captain  Kent  got  down  on  his  hands  and 
knees  and  very  carefully  went  over  the  entire 
length  of  the  strip  of  sand.  When  he  came 
to  where  the  horses  had  recrossed  on  their 
way  out  of  the  ravine,  he  called  Abel  Johnson 
and  Cowboy  Jim  both  to  him. 

"  Look  here,"  he  said,  "  this  sand  has  been 
disturbed,  and  not  more  than  two  hours  ago, 
and  by  human  hands.  See  there  ! "  and  he 
pointed  to  a  faint  mark  that  a  human  finger 
had  left  in  the  sand.  "  Now,  it  is  my  belief 
that  we  're  on  a  blind  trail,  and  that  this  is 
where  they  recrossed  the  sand  on  their  way 
out  of  this  ravine.  The  neckscarf  first  made 
me  suspicious.  Men  who  are  trying  to  hide 
their  trail  don't  leave  such  signs  behind  them. 
Then  the  finding  of  that  button,  a  rod  or 
more  one  side  of  the  trail  where  the  robbers 
passed  while  going  farther  into  the  ravine, 
strengthened  this  suspicion.  The  only  way 
that  I  can  account  for  it  being  there  is  that 
Harry  dropped  it  while  going  out  to  help 
set  us  right.  This  freshly  disturbed  sand  and 
that  finger  mark  confirm  the  suspicion.  I  feel 
quite  sure  that  they  only  entered  this  ravine 
to  start  us  on  a  false  trail.  What  do  you 
think?"  and  Captain  Kent  awaited  anxiously 

the  reply  of  Abel  Johnson  and  Cowboy  Jim. 

2i 


262  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Before  answering  both  men  examined  the 
sand  and  the  finger  mark  with  great  care. 
The  sand  evidently  had  been  recently 
smoothed  over,  and  the  finger  mark  was 
proof  positive  that  a  human  hand  had  done 
it.  But,  why  had  this  been  done  ?  They 
searched  the  ground  on  both  sides  of  the 
strip  of  sand,  but  found  nothing  to  aid 
them  in  solving  the  problem. 

"  I  anticipate  you  're  right,  Captain,"  Cow- 
boy Jim  answered,  straightening  up;  "an'  if 
you  be  th'  sooner  we  get  out  of  this  ravine 
th'  better.  Now,  I " 

But  here  Captain  Kent  interrupted  him  by 
suddenly  going  down  on  his  hands  and  knees, 
and  beginning  to  blow  strongly  on  the  sand. 
His  keen  eyes  had  discovered,  at  a  spot 
where  the  sand  had  been  thinly  spread 
over  the  rock,  the  faintest  possible  outline 
of  a  mark  that  might  be  made  to  mean 
something.  Slowly,  carefully,  he  blew  away 
the  sand  until  there  lay  before  him,  stamped 
in  the  slightly  damper  sand  than  that  which 
had  been  lightly  spread  over  it,  the  rough 
outline  of  a  huge  misshapen  foot.  For  a 
minute  or  more  Captain  Kent  studied  this 
mark  most  carefully,  Abel  Johnson  and 
Cowboy  Jim  also  bending  over  the  imprint 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Abductors       263 

with  signs  of  the  deepest  interest  on  their 
faces ;  then  he  jumped  quickly  to  his  feet 
and  leaped  into  his  saddle. 

"  Come  on  ! "  he  cried,  impatiently.  "  We 
have  already  wasted  time  enough  in  this  ravine. 
That 's  the  mark  of  the  muffled  hoof  of  a 
horse,  and  the  horse  was  going  out,  not  in, 
the  ravine.  I  know  because  the  impression 
is  deepest  on  the  side  nearest  to  the  ravine's 
entrance.  We  Ve  been  fooled,  but  not  as 
badly  as  they  intended  we  should  be.  Come 
on,  we  must  see  if  we  can't  strike  the  trail 
outside  before  it  gets  too  dark,"  and  he 
galloped  swiftly  to  the  entrance,  followed  by 
Abel  Johnson  and  his  cowboys. 

Here,  for  the  first  time,  Abel  Johnson 
missed  Black  Juan. 

"Where's  Mexico?"  he  asked.  "I  saw 
him  start  with  us." 

"  His  hoss  went  lame  jest  over  th'  first 
divide,"  explained  Red  Hank.  "  Reckon  he 
got  a  strain  in  th'  steer-tyin'  yesterday ;  an' 
Mexico  went  back  after  another  hoss.  Said 
he'd  follow  along  after  us  as  fast  as  hoss- 
flesh  could  bring  him.  He  appeared  to  be 
uncommon  hot  to  be  in  at  th'  finish ;  but 
it  looks  now  as  if  he  had  cooled  down  some ; 
leastwise  he  's  not  caught  up  with  us  yet." 


264  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

The  men  now  spread  themselves  out 
both  sides  of  the  entrance  to  the  ravine,  search- 
ing  for  signs  that  would  tell  them  which  direc- 
tion the  boys  and  their  captors  had  taken  ;  but 
the  rapidly  increasing  darkness  soon  compelled 
them  to  give  up  all  hopes  of  finding  the  trail 
that  night,  much  to  Captain  Kent's  disappoint- 
ment, and  it  was  determined  to  camp  right 
where  they  were.  At  daylight  they  would 
take  up  the  search  again. 

In  the  morning,  the  moment  it  became  light 
enough  to  see,  Captain  Kent  and  his  men 
again  began  the  search  for  the  lost  trail ; 
but  so  effectually  had  the  horses'  hoofs  been 
muffled  that  they  could  not  discover  a  "sign," 
and  all  were  beginning  to  get  discouraged, 
when  a  loud  shout  from  Cowboy  Jim  called 
the  attention  of  all  to  him.  He  was  holding 
something  up  in  his  hand.  As  quickly  as  their 
legs  could  take  them  there  Captain  Kent  and 
Abel  Johnson  were  by  his  side. 

"  Look !  Dick's  hair-scratcher,"  and  Cow- 
boy Jim  held  out  a  small  pocket-comb  exult- 
ingly.  "  I  saw  him  usin'  it  not  longer  ago  than 
yesterday  mornin'." 

Both  Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson 
recognized  the  comb  as  belonging  to  Dick  ; 
and,  with  lighter  hearts,  the  trail  was  resumed 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Abductors       265 

along  the  side  of  the  mountain  where  the 
comb  had  been  found.  All  eyes  searched  the 
ground  closely,  as  they  rode,  hoping  to  dis- 
cover other  marks  of  the  boys'  shrewdness. 
Nor  were  they  disappointed ;  for  hardly  had 
they  ridden  a  mile  farther  when  Captain  Kent 
jumped  from  his  horse  and  picked  up  a  white 
button,  the  mate  of  the  one  found  in  the  ravine. 
This  was  proof  that  they  were  now  on  the  right 
trail,  and  they  hurried  on  with  increased  speed. 

Presently  they  came  to  where  the  road 
forked.  The  abductors  of  the  boys  might 
have  taken  either  way ;  but  the  muffled  feet  of 
their  horses  left  no  marks  to  show  which  way 
they  had  gone,  and  it  would  have  been  quite 
impossible  for  even  Captain  Kent  to  have  told 
had  not  the  eyes  of  Abel  Johnson  suddenly 
fallen  on  Dick's  pocket-mirror  lying  on  the 
ground,  a  mute  but  effective  witness  of  the 
route  taken  by  his  captors.  A  little  farther  on 
they  came  to  the  narrow  entrance  of  a  deep 
canyon. 

"  They  have  gone  into  the  mountains  here," 
Captain  Kent  said  decisively.  "  I  know  this 
canyon  well.  It  opens  up  into  a  rock-bound 
valley,  once  the  bed  of  a  mountain  lake. 
Abel,"  and  Captain  Kent  rode  up  close  to  the 
side  of  Abel  Johnson,  and  spoke  in  so  low  a 


266  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

tone  of  voice  that  only  his  friend  could  hear, 
"  from  this  valley  you  cross  the  Devil's  Back- 
bone into  Blind  Canyon.  Can  it  be  that  the 
robbers  have  discovered  where  the  treasure  is 
hidden  and  have  gone  after  it  ?  " 

"  Zounds  !  "  and  Abel  Johnson  turned  indig- 
nantly on  Captain  Kent,  "  you  don't  mean  to 
hint  that  them  boys  have  been  made  to  tell 
where  the  treasure  is  hid,  do  you  ?  I  don't 
believe  there  's  a  gang  of  cutthroats  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  that  could  dig  that  secret 
out  of  Dick  and  Harry  with  their  knives.  I  '11 
bank  every  steer  I  've  got  on  the  grit  of  them 
two  kids." 

"And  I,"  replied  Captain  Kent  a  little 
sternly,  "  would  give  every  cent  I  am  worth  to 
know  that  the  boys  will  not  be  put  to  the  test. 
They  are  too  brave  and  gritty  to  give  in,  and 
if  they  don't  give  in — Abel,  God  alone  knows 
what  will  happen  !  They  are  in  the  hands  of 
men  who  will  stop  at  nothing,  not  even  at  tor- 
ture and  murder.  I  fear  that  these  men  know 
that  the  treasure  cave  is  somewhere  in  Blind 
Canyon  and  have  brought  the  boys  there  to 
force  them  to  show  them  where  it  is.  But,  let 
us  hasten.  It  may  be  that  they  are  encamped  in 
this  valley,"  and  Captain  Kent  hurried  on  into 
the  canyon. 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Abductors       267 

As  they  drew  near  to  the  valley  Captain 
Kent  proceeded  with  the  utmost  caution.  He 
wished  to  surprise  the  robbers,  should  they 
prove  to  be  encamped  there.  But  the  valley 
was  empty  of  all  human  life. 

Captain  Kent's  face  paled  when  he  saw  that 
the  trail,  which  was  now  plainly  visible,  ran 
straight  across  the  valley  in  the  direction  of 
the  Devil's  Backbone  ;  for  he  knew  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  cross  the  Devil's  Back- 
bone, if  it  were  guarded.  Two  men  could  hold 
that  narrow  passageway  against  a  regiment  of 
soldiers.  And  once  safely  in  Blind  Canyon, 
with  Dick  and  Harry  absolutely  in  their  power, 
what  might  not  the  robbers  do  to  compel  the 
boys  to  show  them  the  way  to  the  treasure 
cave  ?  What  might  they  not  have  done 
already  ? 

About  half  a  mile  from  the  entrance  to- 
Blind  Canyon  was  a  large  clump  of  trees. 
When  Captain  Kent  and  his  men  reached 
these  trees,  they  paused  to  take  counsel  as  to- 
the  best  way  to  approach  the  Devil's  Back- 
bone. So  far  they  could  not  have  been  seen 
by  any  one  left  to  guard  the  pass  ;  but,  once 
beyond  the  clump  of  trees,  and  they  would  be 
in  plain  sight  from  the  rocks  guarding  the 
other  end  of  the  Devil's  Backbone ;  and, 


268  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

should  armed  men  be  lurking  behind  these 
rocks,  it  behooved  them  to  advance  with  the 
greatest  of  care. 

Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson  and  Cow- 
boy Jim  dismounted  and  crept  forward  to  the 
edge  of  the  woods  to  reconnoitre.  Not  a  sign 
of  a  human  being  was  in  sight,  and  the  valley 
looked  as  quiet  and  as  peaceful  as  a  Sunday 
afternoon.  Birds  sang  joyously  in  the  near-by 
trees,  an  eagle  soared  high  above  the  Devil's 
Backbone,  and  close  to  the  entrance  of  Blind 
Canyon  a  number  of  antelopes  fed  quietly. 

At  that  moment,  from  out  the  tall  grass 
near  one  of  the  antelopes,  leaped  the  long, 
lithe  body  of  a  mountain  lion,  and  lit,  with 
crushing  force,  on  the  back  of  one  of  the  little 
animals.  The  other  antelopes  bounded  away 
at  a  most  amazing  speed ;  and  the  mountain 
lion,  seizing  his  prey  in  his  strong  jaws,  started 
with  it  toward  the  Devil's  Backbone. 

"  Look  !  "  exclaimed  Cowboy  Jim  excitedly. 
"  Th'  brute  's  goin'  to  carry  th'  antelope  across 
th'  Devil's  Backbone,  where  I  anticipate  he  's 
got  a  den  with  young  ones  in  it.  Now,  we  '11 
see  whether  or  not  th'  pass  is  guarded,  an' 
without  th'  risk  of  gettin'  a  bullet  planted 
in  us." 

Cowboy  Jim  was  right.     The  mountain  lion 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Abductors       269 

bore  his  prey  to  the  edge  of  the  chasm,  and 
then  started  slowly  across  the  Devil's  Back- 
bone with  it,  watched  with  breathless  interest 
by  the  three  men.  When  a  little  over  half 
way  across  the  lion  stopped,  dropped  the  ante- 
lope on  the  rocks  at  his  feet,  lifted  his  head 
and  appeared  to  be  sniffing  the  air.  A  mo- 
ment afterward  a  white  puff  of  smoke  shot  out 
from  behind  one  of  the  rocks,  the  lion  leaped 
convulsively  into  the  air,  fell  half  over  the 
edge  of  the  precipice,  clung  desperately  for 
an  instant  to  the  rocks  with  his  strong  claws, 
and  then  vanished. 

The  three  men  turned  and  looked  at  one 
another  with  whitening  faces.  There  could 
be  no  longer  any  doubt.  Dick  and  Harry 
and  their  captors  were  in  Blind  Canyon,  and 
the  pass  thither  was  guarded.  Braver  men 
than  Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson  and  his 
cowboys  never  lived,  and  there  was  not  one  of 
them  but  would  have  willingly  risked  his  life 
to  rescue  Dick  and  Harry ;  but  all  drew  back 
appalled  before  the  certain  death  that  con- 
fronted them  on  that  narrow  ridge  of  rock.  It 
would  be  madness  even  to  attempt  to  cross  it, 
and  yet  it  seemed  the  only  way  to  get  to  where 
Dick  and  Harry  were  held  captives.  What 

was  to  be  done  ? 

2  j 


270  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  I  thank  God  that  my  little  gal  is  safe  out 
of  their  clutches,"  Abel  Johnson  said  fer- 
vently. Alas  !  he  had  yet  to  learn  of  the 
treachery  of  Black  Juan.  "  An'  yet,  somehow, 
she  seems  to  keep  a-pullin'  at  my  heartstrings, 
as  if  she  was  in  some  awful  trouble  an'  wanted 
me  bad.  I  'm  almost  afeard  somethin'  has 
happened  to  her ;  but  I  reckon  it 's  only  my 
anxiety  for  them  two  kids,"  and  he  turned  his 
troubled  face  to  Captain  Kent.  "  We  must 
do  somethin',  David.  I  promised  Loretta 
we  'd  bring  th'  two  kids  back  with  us,  an'  I  'm 
goin'  to  keep  my  promise,  if  it  's  in  th'  power 
of  man  to  do  it.  We  must  do  somethin', 
David." 

"We  will,  Abel.  We  will,"  Captain  Kent 
answered.  Then  he  sat  for  many  minutes 
silent.  At  length  he  arose.  "  I  will  go  and 
hold  a  parley  with  the  men  on  guard,"  he 
said.  "  Perhaps  we  can  come  to  terms  with 
them.  Better  lose  the  treasure  than  the  boys. 
Every  one  remain  here  until  I  return."  As 
he  spoke  he  laid  down  his  rifle,  cut  a  long 
slim  branch  from  a  tree,  and  tied  a  large  white 
handkerchief  to  one  end  of  this  branch.  Then, 
holding  this  impromptu  flag  of  truce  above  his 
head,  he  walked  out  of  the  woods  toward  the 
Devil's  Backbone. 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Abductors       271 

No  one  knew  better  than  Captain  Kent  that 
this  was  a  dangerous  thing  to  do.  Robbers 
do  not  respect  the  courtesies  of  war,  and  he 
might  be  welcomed  with  a  rifle  ball  ;  but  he 
walked  forth  as  quietly  as  if  he  were  taking 
a  morning's  stroll. 

When  within  a  rod  of  the  precipice  spanned 
by  the  Devil's  Backbone,  Captain  Kent  halted. 
He  was  now  within  calling  distance  of  the 
rocks  from  behind  which  had  come  the  puff  of 
rifle  smoke.  So  far  he  had  not  seen  a  sign 
nor  heard  a  sound  of  a  human  being.  An 
ominous  silence  hung  over  the  rocks  and  the 
awful  chasm. 

Captain  Kent  waved  the  flag  of  truce  above 
his  head  and  waited,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
rocks.  Still  no  sound  nor  sign  came  from 
across  the  chasm. 

"  Hello  !  "  he  called.  "  I  wish  to  hold  a  parley 
with  you,"  and  he  held  the  flag  of  truce  high 
over  his  head. 

A  white  puff  of  smoke  shot  out  from  behind 
the  rocks,  a  rifle  cracked,  and  the  flag  of  truce 
fell  to  the  ground,  its  staff  severed  close  to 
Captain  Kent's  upper  hand. 

Captain  Kent  quietly  stooped,  picked  up  the 
flag,  and,  holding  it  above  his  head,  took 
another  step  toward  the  Devil's  Backbone. 


272  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Again  the  rifle  cracked,  and  this  time  the 
ball  cut  a  lock  of  hair  from  the  side  of 
Captain  Kent's  head. 

Captain  Kent  bowed  and  smiled.  "  I  have 
something  to  say  to  you  concerning  two  boys 
you  hold  as  prisoners,"  he  called,  "  and " 

"  We  don't  know  nothing  about  no  boy 
prisoners,"  interrupted  a  rough  voice,  "  an' 
we  ain't  longin'  for  no  kind  of  a  talk  with 
you.  Our  orders  is  to  shoot  every  man 
that  attempts  to  cross  th'  Devil's  Backbone. 
Now,  we  '11  give  you  jest  one  minute  to  turn 
round  an'  walk  back  where  you  come  from. 
If  you  ain't  started  at  th'  end  of  that  time 
we  '11  shoot  to  kill,"  and  the  voice  became 
ominously  silent. 

Again  Captain  Kent  bowed,  turned  slowly 
about,  and  walked  slowly  back  to  where  Abel 
Johnson  and  his  cowboys  were  anxiously 
awaiting  him. 

The  moment  he  was  back  within  the 
friendly  shelter  of  the  woods  he  called  the 
men  around  him.  There  was  a  stern  look 
on  his  face  and  the  light  of  battle  was  in 
his  eyes. 

"  Men,"  he  said,  "  the  robbers  will  hold 
no  parley  ;  and,  without  a  doubt,  they  will 
shoot  every  man  who  attempts  to  cross  the 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Abductors       273 

Devil's  Backbone.  We  must  fight  them  with 
their  own  weapons.  They  won't  let  us  in 
the  canyon — well,  we  won't  let  them  out. 
I  want  three  men  to  keep  constant  guard 
over  the  Devil's  Backbone  day  and  night 
until  this  thing  is  settled ;  and  I'm  going 
to  ask  Cowboy  Jim,  Red  Hank,  and  Dutch 
to  take  this  guard  for  the  present ;  and  I 
want  you  to  see  that  not  a  human  being 
comes  out  of  or  goes  into  Blind  Canyon 
without  my  permission.  Shoot  every  man 
that  attempts  to  cross  the  Devil's  Backbone. 
We  '11  give  them  a  dose  of  their  own  medicine. 
There  's  a  huge  rock  within  a  few  rods  of  the 
pass  that  will  give  you  protection  ;  and  when 
night  comes  and  it  gets  too  dark  to  see, 
one  of  you  must  keep  constant  guard  on 
the  Devil's  Backbone  itself,  so  as  to  make 
it  impossible  for  any  one  to  creep  across  under 
shelter  of  the  darkness.  The  rest  of  you  will 
come  with  me.  I  fancy  we  can  circumvent 
the  villains  yet.  But  there  is  no  time  to 
waste.  Every  moment  of  delay  may  mean 
terrible  suffering  to  Dick  and  Harry.  Are 
you  all  willing  to  abide  by  my  commands? 
I  cannot  stop  to  explain  them  now."  Captain 
Kent  spoke  in  the  quick,  decisive  tones  of  one 
who  was  master  of  himself  and  the  occasion. 


274  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  We  are,"  responded  the  men  heartily. 

Captain  Kent  turned  to  Cowboy  Jim  and 
his  two  companions.  "  Remember,  you  are 
to  remain  here  on  guard  until  relieved,  if 
it  is  a  month.  Good-by,"  and  he  shook 
the  hand  of  each.  "  Now,  the  rest  of  you 
mount  your  horses  and  follow  Abel  Johnson 
and  me,"  and  he  sprang  into  his  saddle, 
and  rode  swiftly  away  toward  the  spot  where 
a  distant  ravine  tore  a  passage  through  the 
rocky  walls  of  the  valley. 

Cowboy  Jim,  Red  Hank,  and  Dutch 
picketed  their  horses,  and  then  crawled 
cautiously  up  to  the  huge  rock  near  the 
Devil's  Backbone,  from  behind  which  they 
were  to  keep  guard  over  the  narrow  passage- 
way to  Blind  Canyon. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

GOLD    OR    LORETTA  ? 

DICK  and  Harry  stared  in  speechless 
surprise  and  horror  from  the  face  of 
Black  Juan  to  the  face  of  Loretta,  as  the 
supposed  Mexican  sat  on  his  horse  and  issued 
his  sharp  peremptory  commands  to  these 
villainous  men,  who  obeyed  him  without  the 
slightest  sign  of  a  demur ;  and  it  was  not 
until  both  had  been  untied,  and  Loretta, 
freed  from  gag  and  bonds,  was  rushing  to- 
ward them,  with  a  cry  of  joy,  that  they 
found  their  voices. 

"Oh,  Loretta,  Loretta!  What  has  hap- 
pened ?  How  came  you  in  the  power  of 
these  terrible  men  ? "  Dick  cried,  as  the 
poor  girl  fell  almost  fainting  into  his  arms. 
"  Tell  me,  what  has  happened  ?  Where  is 
Abel  Johnson  and  Captain  Kent?  How 
did  that  black-hearted,  treacherous,  lying 
villain,  Black  Juan,  get  you  into  his  thieving 
clutches?"  and  Dick's  eyes  flashed  and  he 
clinched  his  fists  wrathfully. 


276  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  I  thought  you  safe  at  home,"  groaned 
Harry,  "  and  here  you  are !  Oh,  Loretta, 
Loretta,  I  could  have  stood  the  branding  irons  ; 
but  to  think  of  you  in  the  hands  of  these 
desperadoes  !  What  shall  we  do  ?  What  shall 
we  do  ?  "  and  the  boy,  who  but  a  few  minutes 
before  had  so  bravely  defied  Scar-face  to  do 
his  worst  when  it  was  only  himself  who  was 
to  suffer,  broke  down  and  sobbed  at  the 
thought  of  Loretta  in  the  power  of  these 
cruel  men,  and  he  and  Dick  unable  to  help 
her. 

"  He  told  me  that  papa  had  sent  for  me, 
that  they  could  not  find  your  trail ;  and — and 
I  went  with  him,  not  for  an  instant  doubting 
his  word  and  only  too  glad  to  be  of  help," 
Loretta  explained,  when  they  had  their  feel- 
ings under  a  little  better  control.  "  And  I 
was  n't  thinking  of  anything  but  of  getting 
to  papa  just  as  quick  as  I  could,  and  he  rode 
up  close  behind  me,  and  suddenly  dropped 
his  rope  over  my  head,  and  drew  it  tight 
around  my  arms  so  I  could  not  move,  and 
tied  my  hands  behind  my  back ;  and  when  I 
began  to  scream  he  stuck  his  neckscarf  in  my 
mouth,  and  fastened  it  there  so  tight  I  could 
not  make  a  loud  noise ;  and  then  he  tied  a 
rope  to  Bonny  Bess's  bit  and  led  her  behind, 


Gold  or  Loretta  ?  277 

and  rode  as  fast  as  he  could  make  the  horses 
go,  and  I  thought  I  would  die  before  I  got 
here.  What  does  it  mean  ?  What  are  they 
going  to  do  with  us  ?  I  don't  understand  it," 
and  she  turned  imploringly  to  Dick  and  Harry. 
"Why  have  they  brought  us  to  this  lonely 
canyon  ?  What  can  they  want  of  us  ?  Oh,  I 
thought  we  were  going  to  have  such  a  good 
time  while  you  were  here,  and  now — "  and  the 
exhausted  and  overwrought  girl  began  to  sob 
hysterically. 

Dick  and  Harry  comforted  and  cheered  her 
as  best  they  could,  but  it  was  nearly  a  half  an 
hour  before  she  again  gained  control  over  her- 
self, and  bravely  tried  to  face  the  perils  of  her 
situation  as  she  believed  the  daughter  of  Abel 
Johnson  should. 

By  this  time  the  sun  had  set  and  the  deep 
canyon  was  in  darkness,  lit  only  by  the  bright 
camp-fire  of  the  robbers.  On  the  great  rock, 
standing  out  in  the  firelight  sharp  and  dis- 
tinct against  the  dark  background  of  the  night, 
sat  Black  Juan  surrounded  by  his  band  of  evil- 
looking  men.  Evidently  the  business  he  had 
to  communicate  to  them  was  of  the  greatest 
importance,  for  the  light  of  the  fire  showed 
the  eager,  excited  faces  of  his  men  listening 

intently  to  his  words.     Every  now  and  then 

2  K 


278  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

they  would  turn  their  greed-hungry  eyes  from 
the  face  of  the  speaker  and  glance  toward  the 
spot  where  Loretta  and  the  boys  sat  close 
together ;  and  it  was  easy  to  conjecture  that 
the  talk  concerned  them  most  intimately.  For 
an  hour  or  more  the  talk  continued ;  and  then 
Black  Juan  got  up  from  the  rock  and  walked 
toward  Loretta  and  the  boys,  followed  by  Scar- 
face,  the  rest  of  the  men  remaining  where 
they  were. 

"  There  comes  the  infernal  scoundrel ! " 
Harry  cried,  the  moment  he  saw  Black  Juan 
walking  toward  them.  "  And  for  once  he  's 
going  to  hear  in  pretty  plain  English  exactly 
what  one  boy  thinks  of  him,"  and  he  jumped 
to  his  feet  and  glared  at  Black  Juan. 

"  The  villain  !  I  never  ached  so  to  thump 
a  man  in  my  life  as  I  do  him  !  "  and,  with  a 
savage  light  in  his  eyes,  Dick  got  on  his  feet 
and  stood  by  the  side  of  Harry  in  front  of 
Loretta. 

"  Greetings,  seftorita ;  greetings,  sefiors," 
and  Black  Juan,  bowing  and  smiling,  stopped 
a  couple  of  paces  in  front  of  the  boys.  "  I 
would  your  pardon  ask  for  your  pleasant  talk 
interrupting,  but  I  have  of  importance  'some- 
thing to  say — " 

The  sight  of  the  smiling,  bowing  face,  and 


Gold  or  Loretta  ?  279 

the  mock  politeness  of  the  one  to  whose  cruel 
treachery  they  felt  certain  that  they  owed  their 
present  sorry  plight,  coupled  with  the  remem- 
brance of  how  brutally  he  had  treated  Loretta, 
had  proved  too  much  for  the  tempers  of  the 
boys,  and,  almost  at  the  same  instant,  both  had 
leaped  upon  him  with  the  suddenness  and 
fierceness  of  two  wildcats,  regardless  of  every- 
thing but  that  this  hated  form  was  within 
reach  of  their  fists  ;  and  consequently  the  sud- 
den ending  of  Black  Juan's  sentence. 

"  Take  that,  you  cowardly  kidnapper  of 
girls ! "  Dick  shouted,  aiming  a  blow  with  all 
his  strength  at  Black  Juan's  right  eye. 

"  And  this,  you  cur  !  "  yelled  Harry,  attempt- 
ing to  land  a  blow  on  Black  Juan's  jaw. 

So  sudden  and  so  unexpected  was  this  attack, 
and  so  complete  was  the  surprise  of  Black 
Juan,  that  the  fists  of  both  boys  struck  almost 
simultaneously  on  his  face,  and  he  was  hurled 
violently  backward,  stunned,  into  the  arms  of 
Scar-face,  who  was  standing  directly  behind 
him  ;  and  before  either  of  the  men  had  time  to 
recover  themselves,  the  enraged  boys  were 
upon  them  again.  Scar-face  for  a  moment, 
cumbered  by  the  almost  senseless  body  of 
Black  Juan,  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  boys,  and 
it  began  to  look  as  if  they  would  get  the 


280  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

better  of  him  also,  when  the  man  who  had 
been  left  on  guard  rushed  in  from  behind  ; 
and  the  next  instant  Dick  and  Harry  were 
sprawling  on  their  faces,  and  before  they  could 
struggle  to  their  feet  Scar-face  had  leaped 
upon  Dick  and  the  guard  was  astride  of 
Harry. 

Black  Juan  staggered  to  his  feet,  straight- 
ened up,  and  stood  for  a  minute  or  two  watch- 
ing with  glittering,  snake-like  eyes  Scar-face 
and  the  guard,  who  had  gripped  the  throats  of 
the  boys  with  their  muscular  right  hands,  and 
were  slowly  choking  the  life  out  of  them,  to 
the  accompaniment  of  a  string  of  oaths  that 
would  have  horrified  even  a  sea  captain. 
When  the  eyes  of  the  boys  began  to  look  as 
if  they  were  about  to  drop  from  their  sockets, 
and  their  faces  were  beginning  to  turn  black, 
Black  Juan  motioned  the  men  to  desist. 

"  That  will  do,"  he  commanded.  "  Let  the 
young  wildcats  up.  If  they  try  that  game 
again  we  '11  pull  their  claws  out." 

Dick  and  Harry,  gasping  for  breath,  sat  up 
and  then,  after  resting  a  little,  got  slowly  up 
on  their  feet. 

"We're  in  your  power,  Black  Juan,"  Harry 
said,  glaring  defiantly  at  him,  "  and  if  you 
want  to  kill  us  you  can.  But,  just  as  sure  as 


Gold  or  Loretta  ?  281 

there  is  a  God  in  heaven,  you  and  your  band 
of  cutthroats  will  have  to  suffer  for  your 
brutal  cruelty  and  treachery  to  this  helpless 
girl.  Have  you  forgotten  that  she  is  the 
daughter  of  Abel  Johnson  and  the  friend  of 
Captain  Kent  ?  If  a  hair  of  her  head  is  harmed 
their  vengeance  will  be  terrible.  Why  have 
you  brought  her  here?  She  can't,  if  she 
would,  tell  you  where  the  treasure  is.  She 
does  not  know." 

"Si,  senor" — Black  Juan  was  smiling  and 
bowing  again,  though  the  boys  noticed  with 
thrills  of  pleasure  that  the  marks  made  by  their 
fists  on  his  face  were  growing  every  moment 
more  evident — "  true  it  may  be  that  the  senorita 
knows  not  where  the  treasure  is ;  but  the 
young  seftors  know,  and  for  the  seftorita's  sake 
it  may  be  that  the  young  seftors  will  tell,"  and 
his  beady  black  eyes  became  more  snake-like. 
"It  was  of  this  to  talk  with  you  that  I  came, 
when — phist !  bang  !  —  like  two  wildcats  you 
were  upon  me  ! "  and  he  smiled,  but  the  smile 
was  not  a  pleasant  one  for  Dick  and  Harry  to 
see.  "  I  would  now  talk  to  you,  and  I  would 
have  you  listen  ;  and  if  any  more  wildcats 
you  make  of  yourselves  I  will  with  regret  bind 
and  gag  you." 

For  some  reason,  when  addressing  Loretta 


282  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

or  the  boys,  Black  Juan  preferred  to  speak  in 
his  peculiar  disjointed  English,  probably  be- 
cause he  thought  it  aggravated  them  by  re- 
minding them  of  how  cunningly  he  had  fooled 
all  at  the  Lone  Hill  ranch  in  making  them 
believe  that  he  was  a  Mexican. 

Dick  and  Harry  sat  down,  one  on  each  side 
of  Loretta,  and  prepared  to  listen  to  what 
Black  Juan  had  to  say. 

"  I  to  the  point  will  come  at  once,"  he  con- 
tinued, smiling  wickedly.  "  To  me  it  is  known 
that  in  this  canyon  is  hidden  somewhere  a 
great — enormous — treasure  of  gold  and  jewels 
— beautiful — grand — enough  many  men  to 
make  rich.  I  this  treasure  have  looked  for 
and  cannot  find  ;  and  I  your  help,  seftors, 
would  crave,  for  known  to  me  it  is  that  you 
where  this  great  treasure  hidden  is  know. 
Most  humbly  I  of  your  kindness  this  informa- 
tion would  crave,  sefiors,"  and  he  paused,  fixing 
the  snaky  light  of  his  black  eyes  on  the  faces 
of  Dick  and  Harry. 

"  Never  !  you  sneaking,  cowardly,  treacher- 
ous, black-hearted  villain  !  If  I  knew  where 
gold  enough  to  fill  this  valley  was  hidden,  I 
would  never  tell  you.  I  would  die  first !"  and 
the  strong  jaws  of  Dick  came  together  with  a 
snap  like  that  of  a  steel  trap. 


Gold  or  Loretta?  283 

"  Cruel,  most  cruel,  to  the  beautiful  seftorita 
are  you,  seftors,"  Black  Juan  declared,  with  a 
deprecatory  wave  of  his  two  hands.  Then  the 
smile  left  his  face,  and  the  cold  glitter  of  steel 
came  in  his  eyes,  and  the  hiss  of  a  snake  was 
in  his  voice. 

"  Now,  to  me  listen,  seftors.  I  my  words 
will  not  speak  twice.  All  night  will  I  give  you 
to  think  of  what  I  say.  In  the  morning,  when 
the  sun  on  the  great  Council  Rock  first  shines 
down,  will  I  ask  you  again.  If  gold  you  still 
love  more  than  the  beautiful  seftorita,  and  the 
treasure  to  show  me  you  still  refuse,  then  will 
I  the  beautiful  seftorita  hang  by  the  neck  the 
limb  of  that  tall  tree  to  until  she  is  dead.  I 
my  words  have  spoken.  Pleasant  may  thy 
dreams  be.  Adios,  senors ;  adios,  seftorita," 
and,  with  a  courtly  bow  and  a  sneering  smile 
first  at  the  boys  and  then  to  Loretta,  he  turned 
and  walked  back  to  the  men  who  were  still 
sitting  around  the  Council  Rock. 

Scar-face  stood  for  a  couple  of  minutes 
scowling  horribly  at  Loretta  and  the  boys,  and 
then,  without  speaking  a  word,  he  turned  and 
joined  the  men  at  the  rock. 

Dick  and  Harry  stared  each  into  the  other's 
eyes,  and  their  faces  grew  ghastly  white,  and 
they  shivered  as  if  they  were  cold. 


284  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  He  dares  not,  he  dares  not,  he  dares  not 
do  it ! "  Dick  reiterated  fiercely ;  but  in  their 
heart  of  hearts  both  boys  knew  that  Black 
Juan  not  only  dared  to  do  what  he  had  threat- 
ened, but  that  he  would  do  it  without  fail. 
There  was  no  mistaking  the  look  on  his  face 
and  in  his  eyes.  The  treasure  he  must  have, 
would  have,  no  matter  at  what  cost. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

CAPTAIN  KENT'S  PLAN 

CAPTAIN  KENT  rode  so  swiftly  away 
^s->  from  that  rock-enclosed  valley  where 
he  had  left  Cowboy  Jim,  Red  Hank,  and 
Dutch  to  guard  the  Devil's  Backbone  that 
he  had  had  no  opportunity  to  explain  his 
plans  nor  to  tell  whither  he  was  going ; 
but  so  great  was  the  confidence  of  the  men 
in  his  ability  and  courage  that  not  one  of 
them  even  thought  of  hesitating  to  follow 
him.  They  were  ready  to  go  wherever  Cap- 
tain Kent  led,  and  without  questioning  why 
or  whither.  Even  while  passing  through  the 
ravine  that  gave  them  passage  out  of  the  val- 
ley, Captain  Kent  did  not  slacken  his  speed, 
except  in  places  where  the  roughness  of  the 
ground  made  it  absolutely  necessary,  but 
spurred  on  over  rocks  and  stones  and  gullies 
at  a  pace  that  made  even  the  rough  riders 
who  followed  him  wonder  at  his  reckless 
haste.  At  length  they  came  to  the  end  of 

2L 


286  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

the  ravine,  and  dashed  out,  at  full  speed,  into 
a  small  valley ;  but,  hardly  had  they  ridden 
a  rod  into  this  valley,  when  Captain  Kent 
pulled  up  his  horse  with  a  suddenness  that 
threw  him  back  on  his  haunches. 

"  Look  !  Look  there  ! "  he  cried  excitedly, 
pointing  down  the  valley. 

In  a  moment  every  man  had  pulled  up  his 
horse  and  was  staring  in  the  direction  of 
Captain  Kent's  pointing  finger,  where  a 
strange  and  startling  scene  was  being  enacted. 

On  a  level  spot  of  ground,  not  twenty  rods 
away,  stood  an  enormous  grizzly  bear, 
reared  up  on  his  hind  feet  and  growling 
savagely.  Directly  in  front  of  the  bear,  and 
less  than  twenty  feet  from  him,  was  Bill 
Burke,  shaking  his  head  angrily  at  the  grizzly. 
Evidently  Captain  Kent  and  his  men  had 
appeared  at  the  most  critical  moment ;  for, 
even  as  they  pulled  up  their  horses,  the  bear 
with  an  angry  roar  charged  on  the  negro. 

"  Run !  For  heaven's  sake,  run !  Run, 
you  blamed  black  idiot ! "  shouted  Captain 
Kent,  striking  the  spurs  into  his  horse,  and 
dashing  toward  the  endangered  negro. 

But  nothing  was  farther  from  Bill  Burke's 
mind  than  running.  His  fighting  blood  was 
up.  Besides  he  really  had  no  comprehension 


Bill  Burke  lowered  his  head,  clapped  both  hands  under  his  chin  for 
support,  and,  putting  forth  every  ounce  of  strength  in  his  muscular 
legs  and  back,  shot  forward  to  meet  the  bear." 

PAGE  287. 


Captain  Kent's  Plan  287 

of  the  enormous  strength  and  ferocity  of  his 
antagonist.  The  captive  grizzlies  at  home 
had  made  him  somewhat  contemptuous  of 
bears.  Then  the  bear  was  between  him  and 
his  horse,  and  he  was  anxious  to  get  on  that 
horse's  back. 

"  Go  on  'bout  yo'  bus'ness,  Mistah  Bear," 
he  shouted.  "  Dis  niggah  don't  want  nuffin' 
to  do  wid  yo'.  Go  on,  '  fo '  I  knock  yo' 
breas'bone  fro'  yo'  spinal  column.  Go  on, 

outter  my  way.  I's "  Here  the  bear 

charged.  "  Oh  !  Ho  !  I's  yo'  honey  ! "  and 
Bill  Burke  lowered  his  head,  clapped  both 
hands  under  his  chin  for  support,  and,  putting 
forth  every  ounce  of  strength  in  his  muscular 
legs  and  back,  shot  forward  to  meet  the 
bear. 

Never  before  in  all  his  life  had  anything 
like  this  happened  to  bruin  !  And  it  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at  that  his  brain  became  a 
bit  confused  at  the  sight  of  that  black  thing 
rushing  toward  him ;  and  then,  before  he  had 
recovered  sufficient  bear-sense  to  act  in  his 
own  defence,  the  head  of  Bill  Burke  struck 
him  in  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  and,  with  a 
grunt  of  agony,  over  he  went  on  his  back, 
his  feet  sprawling  up  in  the  air.  Ah,  but  his 
bearship  was  angry  now  !  The  indignity,  and 


288  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

shame,  and  pain  of  it  all !  With  fire  in  his 
eyes  and  rage  in  his  heart,  he  bounded  on 
his  feet,  and  whirled  around,  ready  to  swallow 
that  black  thing  alive ;  and  was  confronted 
by  a  man  on  horseback,  with  a  rifle  levelled 
at  his  head.  The  rifle  flamed  and  thundered ; 
and  the  grizzly  plunged  forward  and  went 
down,  never  to  arise  again. 

"Golly!  Whar  yo'  come  f'om?"  and  Bill 
Burke  stared  in  blank  astonishment  at  Cap- 
tain Kent  and  the  cowboys.  "  I  's  electrified 
to  meet  yo',  'deed  I  is,"  and  then  he  caught 
sight  of  Abel  Johnson,  and  rushed  to  him. 

"Oh,  Massah  Johnson  !  Massah  Johnson  ! 
Miss  'Retta's  done  stolen  ! "  he  cried.  "  Miss 
'Retta's  done  runned  off  wid  by  that  rascallian 
Black  Juan." 

With  a  cry  like  that  of  a  wounded  lion 
Abel  Johnson  leaped  from  his  horse,  and 
seized  Bill  Burke  by  the  shoulders. 

"My  God!  What  do  you  mean?"  he 
shouted,  shaking  Bill  Burke  violently.  "  My 
little  gal  stolen !  stolen  ! "  he  reiterated, 
"stolen  by  that  black  devil  of  a  Mexican! 
I  '11  tear  th'  black  hide  off  his  bones,  an' 
crush  every  bone  to  powder  !  Stolen  !  My 
little  gal  stolen ! "  and  the  grip  of  his  great 
hands  tightened  like  vises. 


Captain  Kent's  Plan  289 

"  Lemme  go  !  I's  done  did  n't  do  nuffin'. 
Lemme  go ! "  begged  Bill  Burke,  frightened 
by  the  fierce  grip  of  the  enraged  ranchman. 

But  Abel  Johnson  only  tightened  his  hold, 
and,  with  a  white  stern  face,  bade  Bill  Burke 
tell  him  exactly  what  had  happened. 

"  Quick,  get  on  your  horse,  Bill  Burke," 
Captain  Kent  commanded  the  moment  the 
negro  had  finished  his  tale,  "  and  ride  with  us. 
Abel,  every  moment  is  priceless.  Do  not 
waste  one  of  them.  We  may  be  in  time  to 
circumvent  the  villains  yet.  I  'd  rather  lose 
my  right  arm  than  that  a  hair  of  Loretta's 
head  should  be  harmed  ;  and  we  will  save  her, 
if  mortal  men  can  do  it.  Come  on,"  and, 
striking  his  spurs  deep  into  his  horse,  he 
dashed  away  at  full  speed,  followed  by  the 
cowboys,  whose  blood  was  boiling  with  the 
thought  of  the  treachery  of  Black  Juan. 
Every  one  of  those  men  loved  Loretta,  and 
not  one  of  them  but  would  gladly  lay  down 
his  life  for  her. 

Abel  Johnson  rode  by  the  side  of  Captain 
Kent,  his  face  white  and  set,  and  his  eyes 
blazing.  His  heart  was  wrung  with  anguish. 
Loretta  in  the  hands  of  desperadoes,  and  he 
powerless  to  help  her  !  The  thought  was  mad- 
dening. What  might  not  have  happened? 


290  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

What  might  be  happening  even  at  that  very 
moment  ?  He  groaned  in  agony,  and  vowed 
that  if  ever  Black  Juan  got  within  reach  of  his 
hands  he  would  show  him  what  it  meant  to 
arouse  a  father's  terrible  wrath. 

Captain  Kent  did  not  speak.  He  had  no 
time  for  words.  Now  was  the  time  for  riding  ; 
and  Captain  Kent  believed  sincerely  in  doing 
the  right  thing  at  the  right  time,  and  in  doing 
it  with  all  his  might.  Every  bit  of  speed  that 
he  could  get  out  of  his  horse  he  was  getting ; 
and,  fast  and  furious,  behind  him  rode  the  cow- 
boys ;  and  last  of  all  came  Bill  Burke,  holding 
on  to  the  pommel  of  his  saddle  with  both  hands, 
while  his  horse  was  making  desperate  efforts 
to  keep  up  with  the  rushing  cavalcade. 

From  the  moment  when  he  had  first  learned 
of  the  capture  of  the  boys  Captain  Kent  had 
realized  the  desperate  need  of  haste,  if  the 
treasure  would  be  saved  and  the  boys  rescued  ; 
and  now,  with  Loretta  in  the  hands  of  the 
robbers,  a  speedy  rescue  became  even  more 
imperative.  Whatever  the  robbers  did,  they 
must  do  quickly.  Their  safety  depended  on 
their  getting  out  of  this  part  of  the  country  as 
speedily  as  possible ;  and  he  knew  they  would 
waste  no  time  with  Loretta  and  the  boys.  If 
Dick  and  Harry  refused  to  tell  where  the 


Captain  Kent's  Plan  291 

treasure  was,  even  when  threatened — and  he 
felt  quite  sure  that  they  would — they  would  at 
once  proceed  to  torture,  to  murder,  if  need  be,  to 
make  them  tell ;  and  Captain  Kent  shuddered 
when  he  thought  of  what  might  happen  with 
Loretta  in  their  power.  By  threatening  harm  to 
her  they  could  compel  Dick  and  Harry  to  tell  all 
they  knew  ;  and  by  holding  her  as  hostage  they 
could  force  Abel  Johnson,  if  necessary,  to  come 
to  their  terms.  On  the  other  hand,  if  they 
thought  that  their  safety  demanded  it,  he 
knew  that  these  desperate  men  would  not  hesi- 
tate a  moment  to  take  the  lives  of  the  three 
children.  Hence,  from  whatever  point  of  view 
he  looked  at  the  problem,  haste  was  impera- 
tive, if  he  would  save  the  treasure  and  the 
children  ;  and  already  much  time  had  been 
lost.  It  was  impossible  to  reach  the  robbers 
by  way  of  the  Devil's  Backbone  ;  and  there 
was  no  other  way,  save  one — a  way  so  desper- 
ate and  full  of  peril  that  even  the  iron  nerves 
of  Captain  Kent  shrank  from  undertaking  it. 
But  it  was  their  only  hope.  If  it  failed  them, 
then  would  Loretta  and  Dick  and  Harry  be  at 
the  absolute  mercy  of  the  robbers,  and  beyond 
the  reach  of  their  help.  It  was  to  attempt  this 
way  that  Captain  Kent  was  now  riding  with 
such  desperate  haste. 


292  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Steadily,  on  and  on,  never  pausing  and  only 
slackening  his  speed  when  the  roughness  of 
the  road  made  it  absolutely  necessary,  Captain 
Kent  rode  for  an  hour  and  a  half  or  more ; 
and  then  he  came  to  the  shore  of  a  quiet, 
mountain-enclosed  lake.  On  the  bank  of  this 
lake  Captain  Kent  pulled  up  his  horse. 

"  Who  is  an  expert  swimmer  and  diver  ?  "  he 
asked,  turning  quickly  to  the  men  who  had 
halted  near  him. 

"Reckon  that's  my  call,  Cap,"  and  a  tall, 
lank  cowboy  rode  a  pace  forward  ;  "leastwise 
I  've  won  more  'n  a  dozen  medals  for  swimmin' 
and  divin'.  What  might  you  be  wantin'  ?  " 

"  Good,  you  are  the  man  I  want,  Jake,"  re- 
plied Captain  Kent.  "  Now,  listen,  men. 
Time  is  very  precious,  and  I  must  be  brief, 
but  I  '11  try  and  make  my  plan  clear.  Loretta 
and  Dick  and  Harry  have  been  captured  by  a 
band  of  robbers,  who  are  holding  them  pris- 
oners in  Blind  Canyon.  Apparently  there  is 
only  one  way  into  Blind  Canyon  and  that  is 
across  the  Devil's  Backbone,  which  is  held  by 
the  robbers ;  but,  in  reality,  there  is  another 
way,  though  absolutely  unknown  to  all  human 
beings  until  discovered,  under  the  most  won- 
derful circumstances,  last  summer.  The  rob- 
bers know  nothing  whatever  of  this  second 


Captain  Kent's  Plan  293 

way ;  and  we  can  take  them  completely  by 
surprise  if  we  can  only  get  into  Blind  Canyon 
through  it.  But  this  will  not  be  easy ;  for  the 
road  is  through  a  marvellous  series  of  caves, 
extending  from  this  lake  through  the  moun- 
tains, and  opening  into  the  perpendicular  side 
of  Blind  Canyon  two  hundred  feet  above  its 
bottom.  Nor  is  this  the  only  difficulty  ;  and 
here  is  where  you  will  come  in,  Jake.  The 
opening  to  these  caves  is  under  water,  or,  at 
least,  was  last  summer ;  and  all  who  enter 
must  do  so  by  diving.  Now,  my  plan  is  to 
attempt  to  reach  Blind  Canyon  through  these 
caves,  however  difficult  and  perilous  the  way 
may  seem ;  for,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  it  offers 
our  only  hope  to  rescue  the  children  and  pun- 
ish their  abductors.  Are  you  willing  to  follow 
Abel  Johnson  and  me  into  these  caves?" 

"Through  water  an'  fire  plumb  to  brim- 
stone, if  t'other  end  but  promises  to  land  us 
within  ropin'  distance  of  them  abductors  ! "  ex- 
claimed one  of  the  men.  "An'  I  calculates 
that  I  voice  th'  sentiment  of  every  cowpuncher 
present,  barrin'  none,"  and  he  glanced  threat- 
eningly around  the  circle  of  horsemen,  but  saw 
only  looks  of  approval. 

The  response  of  every  man  was  equally 
emphatic  and  hearty. 

2M 


294  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

44  I  knew  I  could  depend  on  every  one  of 
you,"  Captain  Kent  said  simply,  but  in  a  way 
that  made  every  cowboy  feel  as  a  soldier  does 
when  he  has  been  publicly  commended  by  his 
general.  "  Now,  we  must  ride  on.  You  un- 
derstand my  plan  and  approve,  Abel  ?  " 

"Yes,  David,"  Abel  Johnson  responded. 
44  But  let  us  hurry.  God  only  knows  what  is 
happening  to  my  little  gal  !  She  has  been  in 
th'  hands  of  them  villains  now  for  nigh  onto  a 
day.  Zounds,  if  I  can  only  get  my  grip  on 
the  throat  of  Mexico  ! "  and  his  strong  hands 
clinched,  until  they  almost  pressed  the  nails 
through  the  tough  skin  of  his  palms. 

As  Captain  Kent  rode  along  the  shores  of 
the  lake  his  keen  eyes  saw  evidences  every- 
where that  the  now  quiet  lake  had  been  the 
scene  of  much  watery  turbulence,  during  the 
spring  melting  of  the  winter's  snows,  which 
had  fallen  to  an  unusual  depth  on  the  sur- 
rounding mountains.  The  banks  were  strewn 
with  debris,  and  the  water-marks  on  the  moun- 
tain sides  showed  that  the  lake  had  reached  a 
surprisingly  high  level.  But  now  it  appeared 
to  him  that  the  water  was  lower  than  he  had 
ever  seen  it  before. 

After  a  short  half  an  hour's  further  ride 
they  came  to  a  great  pile  of  rocks  near  the 


Captain  Kent's  Plan  295 

opening  of  a  narrow  canyon.     Again  Captain 
Kent  halted  and  glanced  eagerly  around. 

"  Yonder  is  the  pile  of  rocks  behind  which 
we  waited  for  the  attack  of  the  supposed  red- 
skins coming  up  the  canyon."  Then  he  paused 
and  appeared  to  be  measuring  distances  with 
his  eyes  for  a  minute  or  two.  "  And  there  's 
the  cave  where  the  bear  that  killed  the  old 
hermit  had  her  den.  Yes,  this  is  the  place, 
and  the  entrance  to  the  caves  should  be  right 
down  there,  just  around  them  rocks,"  and  he 
rode  quickly  toward  the  spot  where  a  huge 
promontory  of  rocks  jutted  out  into  the  lake. 
When  he  reached  the  promontory  he  dis- 
mounted, and,  followed  by  Abel  Johnson  and 
the  cowboys,  hurried  around  the  point  of 
rocks. 

"  Hurrah,  there  it  is  !  "  he  shouted,  joyfully, 
the  moment  he  had  rounded  the  point.  "  And 
above  the  water !  We  won't  need  to  test  your 
diving  ability,  Jake.  A  little  wading  will 
bring  us  safe  and  dry  into  the  cave.  Nature 
has  done  us  a  good  turn,  boys,"  and  Captain 
Kent  and  Abel  Johnson  surveyed  in  pleased 
astonishment  the  opening  to  the  caves  through 
whose  awful  depths  they  had  made  that  fear- 
ful journey  the  summer  before. 

An  examination  of  the  opening  showed  that 


296  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

not  only  had  the  waters  of  the  lake  fallen  much 
below  their  usual  level,  but  that  the  opening 
itself  had  been  enlarged ;  and  it  was  evident 
that  during  the  flood-time  of  the  spring  freshets 
the  water  had  rushed  through  this  opening  and 
into  the  cave  with  enormous  violence,  wearing 
and  tearing  away  the  rock  of  the  arch,  until 
now  a  man  could  enter  by  wading  through 
water  hardly  above  his  knees. 

"  Gather  as  many  pine  knots  for  torches  as 
you  can  find,  every  man  of  you,  and  move 
lively,"  Captain  Kent  commanded.  "  We 
must  take  as  many  torches  with  us  as  we 
can  carry." 

There  was  a  large  pine  grove  near  by  ;  and 
in  a  very  short  time  the  men  had  gathered  an 
abundance  of  wood  to  serve  as  torches. 

"  Now,  let  every  man  take  his  rope  and 
wind  it  around  his  waist,"  again  commanded 
Captain  Kent.  "  We  may  need  them.  Build 
a  fire  and  light  a  couple  of  the  torches." 

In  five  minutes  more  every  man  stood  ready, 
his  rifle  in  his  right  hand,  a  torch  in  his  left, 
and  a  bundle  of  torches  on  his  back.  Two  of 
the  torches  had  been  lit.  Captain  Kent  took 
one  of  these,  and  gave  the  other  to  Abel 
Johnson. 

"  Come  on,  Abel.     We  will  light  the  way," 


Captain  Kent's  Plan  297 

and  Captain  Kent  stepped  into  the  waters, 
and,  holding  the  flaming  torch  above  his  head, 
passed  under  that  gloomy  arch  of  rock  and 
into  the  darkness  of  the  cave  beyond  ;  and  by 
his  side  walked  Abel  Johnson,  his  lighted 
torch  smoking  and  flaming  in  front  of  him  ; 
and  directly  behind  them  came  Bill  Burke, 
with  eyes  rolling  and  the  wrinkles  jumping 
all  over  his  face  ;  and  after  the  negro  trailed 
the  wondering  cowboys.  For  a  few  minutes  the 
light  from  the  flaming  torches  illuminated  the 
opening,  gradually  growing  dimmer  and  dim- 
mer, until  once  again  all  was  blackness  and 
silence  ;  and  every  vestige  of  these  gallant 
men  had  vanished  from  the  light  of  day. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE    LADDER    OF    ROPES 

THERE  were  no  "pleasant  dreams"  for 
Dick,  or  Harry,  or  Loretta  that  night. 
The  fearful  threat  of  Black  Juan  had  driven 
all  thoughts  of  slumber  far  from  them  ;  and, 
when  at  last  the  light  of  morning  began  to 
brighten  the  darkness  of  the  canyon,  not  once 
had  the  children  closed  their  eyes  in  sleep 
during  the  long  hours  of  that  terrible  night. 
What  were  they  to  do  ?  It  went  sorely  against 
their  grain  to  tell  these  desperadoes  where  the 
treasure  was,  to  have  all  that  untold  wealth 
fall  into  the  hands  of  these  villains  ;  but,  what 
else  could  they  do  ?  If  they  still  refused  to 
tell,  the  robbers  would  certainly  hang  Loretta ; 
and  what  was  all  the  treasure  in  the  world  in 
comparison  to  the  life  of  this  dear  girl  ?  But, 
was  there  no  other  way  ? 

Over  and  over,  again  and  again,  in  every 
conceivable  light,  Dick  and  Harry  considered 
the  problem  ;  and  could  find  no  solution,  other 


The  Ladder  of  Ropes  299 

than  that  of  revealing  the  hiding  place  of  the 
treasure  to  the  robbers — unless  Abel  Johnson 
and  Captain  Kent  effected  their  rescue  before 
the  first  ray  of  the  morning's  sun  touched  the 
great  Council  Rock.  But  such  a  rescue  was 
improbable,  nay,  more,  it  was  seemingly  im- 
possible ;  for  the  Devil's  Backbone  lay  between 
them  and  Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson 
and  his  cowboys,  and  it  would  be  death  for 
them  to  even  attempt  to  cross  it.  Still  the 
children  hoped  against  hope,  even  as  they 
watched  the  sun's  rays  creeping  closer  and 
closer  to  the  great  rock,  that  something  would 
happen  to  render  the  fateful  choice  unne- 
cessary. 

All  the  men,  with  the  exception  of  the  one 
guarding  Loretta  and  the  boys,  were  now 
gathered  around  the  Council  Rock,  waiting, 
impatiently  waiting,  for  the  rays  of  the  sun  to 
fall  upon  the  rock.  Presently  one  of  the  men 
left  the  rock,  and,  approaching  the  children, 
bade  Loretta  come  with  him. 

Instantly  Dick  and  Harry  leaped  to  their 
feet  and  sprang  in  front  of  Loretta,  deter- 
mined that  she  should  not  go  unless  they  went 
with  her. 

The  man  nodded  to  their  guard,  who  drew 
his  six-shooters,  and,  pointing  one  at  the  head 


3<DO  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

of  each  boy,  said :   "No  more  wildcat  busi- 
ness, boys.    The  gal  goes.  You  stay.    Savvy  ?  " 

"  Don't,"  and  Loretta  smiled  bravely. 
"  Don't  make  any  trouble  for  my  sake,  boys. 
I  will  go  with  this  man.  I  am  sure  he  does 
not  mean  to  harm  me,"  and  again  she  smiled. 
"  Come  on,"  and  she  walked  away  with  the 
man,  leaving  Dick  and  Harry  looking  into  the 
muzzles  of  the  six-shooters  and  gritting  their 
teeth  in  helpless  wrath. 

The  man  led  Loretta  direct  to  the  Council 
Rock,  and,  lifting  her  in  his  arms,  placed  her 
on  top  of  it.  Near  this  rock  grew  a  tall  oak 
tree,  with  one  great  branch  that  hung  directly 
over  the  rock.  Loretta  now  stood  under  this 
branch.  Scar-face  held  in  his  hand  a  long 
rope,  which  had  been  made  by  tying  two 
lassos  together.  At  a  sign  from  Black  Juan 
he  threw  this  rope  over  the  branch,  and  the 
noose  fell  down  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  top 
of  Loretta's  head.  Scar-face  now  jumped  upon 
the  rock  by  the  side  of  Loretta,  tied  her  hands 
behind  her  back,  adjusted  the  noose  around 
her  neck,  and,  jumping  off  the  rock,  stood, 
holding  the  other  end  of  the  rope  in  his  hands, 
ready  to  pull.  Evidently  he  had  been  ap- 
pointed executioner;  and  he  went  about  the 
work  like  one  who  had  had  much  practice  in  it. 


The  Ladder  of  Ropes  301 

Dick  and  Harry  had  witnessed  these  omi- 
nous preparations  with  blanching  cheeks.  Did 
Black  Juan  mean  to  hang  Loretta  first,  and 
then,  with  the  horror  of  her  death  still  in  their 
eyes,  compel  them  to  tell  where  the  treasure 
was  concealed  ?  They  would  have  rushed  to 
her  rescue,  but  the  muzzles  of  the  six-shooters, 
held  within  six  feet  of  their  heads,  and  the 
stern,  cruel  face  behind  them,  fixed  them 
where  they  were.  They  shouted  that  they 
would  tell  where  the  treasure  was  hidden,  but 
not  the  least  attention  was  paid  to  their 
cries. 

Loretta's  face  was  ghastly  white,  and  the 
boys  could  see  from  where  they  were  that  she 
was  trembling  so  that  she  could  hardly  stand  ; 
but,  in  spite  of  the  deadly  fear  she  must  have 
been  in,  there  was  a  smile  on  the  face  she 
turned  to  them. 

So  far,  not  one  of  the  men  had  spoken  a 
word  ;  but  all  stood  watching  the  line  of  sun- 
light creeping  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  rock. 
The  instant  the  first  ray  touched  the  rock, 
Black  Juan  strode  to  where  Dick  and  Harry 
stood. 

"  Pardon,  sefiors,"  he  said,  bowing  low  and 
smiling.  "  I  now  your  decision  would  know. 
If  still  more  than  the  seflorita  you  love  gold,  I 

2N 


302  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

wave  my  hand,  and,  like  one  acorn,  the  beauti- 
ful sefiorita  hangs " 

"You  brute!"  interrupted  Dick,  wrathfully 
shaking  his  fist  at  Black  Juan.  "You  cow- 
ardly brute,  release  Loretta  this  instant, 
or " 

"  But,  pardon,  sefiors,  your  decision  I  await." 

"  The  moment  Loretta  is  free  and  standing 
safely  by  our  sides,  we  will  tell  you  where  the 
treasure  cave  is,"  Harry  cried,  "  Hurry,  do 
hurry  and  take  that  fearful  rope  from  around 
her  neck ! " 

Black  Juan  smiled,  and  raised  both  hands. 

At  the  signal  one  of  the  robbers  leaped  upon 
the  rock,  slipped  the  noose  off  Loretta's  neck, 
untied  her  hands,  and  hurried  with  her  to 
where  the  boys  stood. 

"  Now,  the  treasure  cave  I  would  know 
where  it  is,"  and  the  gold-greed  looked  hun- 
grily out  of  Black  Juan's  eyes. 

"There,"  and  Harry  turned  and  pointed  to 
where  a  black  spot  in  the  face  of  the  wall  of 
the  canyon  showed  where  the  opening  to  the 
hermit's  cave  was.  "  There  is  the  entrance 
to  the  cave,  that  little  hole  you  see  in  the  wall 
of  the  canyon  about  two  hundred  feet  above 
its  base.  May  it  prove  a  curse  to  every  one  of 
youl" 


The  Ladder  of  Ropes  303 

Black  Juan  stared  blankly  at  the  smooth 
perpendicular  wall  of  the  canyon  for  a  minute 
or  two,  glanced  doubtfully  into  the  faces  of  the 
boys,  and  turned  and  walked  swiftly  back  to 
where  the  men  still  stood  around  the  Council 
Rock.  In  ten  minutes  he  was  back  again. 

"  I  would  know  how  you  entered  the  cave  ?" 
he  asked. 

"  By  means  of  that  enormous  tree,  which 
was  then  standing,"  Harry  answered,  pointing 
to  the  giant  trunk  that  extended  over  the 
ground  for  more  than  two  hundred  feet. 

Again  Black  Juan  returned  to  the  men  at 
the  rock ;  and  then  all  hurried  to  the  base  of 
the  wall  directly  under  the  cave  opening.  In  a 
short  time  a  number  of  the  men  ran  to  their 
tents  ;  and  brought  back  with  them  a  couple  of 
strong  chisels  and  hammers,  and  all  their  lassos 
and  picket  pins.  One  of  the  men  at  once  be- 
gan cutting  foot  and  hand  holds  into  the  rock 
of  the  wall  with  chisel  and  hammer,  while  the 
others  made  rope  ladders  out  of  the  lassos. 
This  way  of  reaching  the  cave's  entrance  was 
slow  and  laborious,  as  well  as  dangerous,  and 
would  have  been  impossible  had  it  not  been 
that  the  wall  of  rock  was  seamed  with  cracks  ; 
but  it  was  the  only  way  within  reach  of 
the  robbers.  Whenever  the  man  who  was 


304  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

chiselling  his  way  upward  would  reach  a  suit- 
able crack,  he  would  drive  one  of  the  picket 
pins  firmly  in  it  and  fasten  a  rope  ladder  to 
the  pin.  When  he  became  too  tired  to  work 
to  advantage  he  would  scramble  down  the  rope 
ladders  and  another  man  would  immediately 
take  his  place.  In  this  way,  slowly  but  surely, 
a  ladder  of  ropes  was  gradually  built  upward, 
ever  coming  nearer  to  the  cave's  entrance  and 
ever  growing  more  dangerous  to  the  worker 
with  the  chisel  and  hammer,  as  he  climbed 
farther  and  farther  away  from  the  safety  of  the 
ground. 

Dick  and  Harry  watched  this  perilous  climb 
upward  with  breathless  interest.  Its  success 
meant  the  loss  of  the  treasure — the  gold  and 
jewels  stored  for  untold  ages  in  that  marvellous 
treasure  chamber  of  the  dead  kings — and  the 
downfall  of  many  a  beautiful  air-castle  builded 
in  the  glorious  future  of  their  imaginings ;  but, 
whenever  they  looked  at  Loretta,  they  forgot 
the  gold  and  the  jewels,  and  thanked  God  that 
she  was  safe,  at  least  for  the  present,  from  the 
hangman's  rope. 

One,  two,  three,  four,  five  hours  went  slowly 
by,  and  now  the  robbers  were  within  a  dozen 
feet  of  the  entrance  of  the  cave.  A  fresh  man 
had  just  gone  up,  and  it  was  expected  that  he 


The  Ladder  of  Ropes  305 

would  reach  the  cave.     This  man  was  Bill, 
Dick's   captor,    the   one  who   had   so   nearly 
caused  his  death  at  the  Devil's  Backbone.     He 
looked  like  a  child  clinging  to  the  face  of  the 
rock,  as  he  worked  nearly  two  hundred  feet 
above   the    heads    of    the   anxious  watchers 
below.     It   was  a   perilous   situation.     If   he 
made  a  misstep,  if  he  lost  his  hold,  if  he  be- 
came dizzy  or  faint — death  on  the  rocks  below 
would  be  his  inevitable  fate.     But   Bill  was 
cool.      Dizzy  heights  had  no  terrors  for  him. 
Once  he  had  been  a  steeple-climber,  in  the  long 
ago  before  he  had  become  a  desperado.    That 
was  why  he  had  been  chosen  to  make  this  last 
perilous  dozen  feet  of  the  ascent.     Not  another 
man  among  them  had  the  nerve  to  attempt  it 
By  this  time  the  excitement  of  all  had  be- 
come   intense.       There   is   nothing   that   will 
arouse  the  passions  of  a  human  being  like  the 
lust  of  gold  ;  and  the  robbers  were  now  gold 
mad.     They  saw  the   treasures   of  the   cave 
almost  within  their  grasp  ;   and  their  fancies 
were  already  running  riot   amongst   the  gold 
and  jewels  of  that  marvellous  treasure  chamber. 
Each  would  be  a  king  in  wealth.     Their  faces 
flushed,  their  eyes   sparkled,   they   talked   in 
loud  unnatural   tones  of   voice,  they  gesticu- 
lated excitedly  and  moved  uneasily  here  and 


306  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

there;  but  not  for  an  instant  did  they  take 
their  eyes  off  the  man  working  slowly  upward. 
Now  he  is  almost  within  hand-reach  of  the 
opening — he  is  driving  the  last  picket  pin  into 
a  crack  within  six  inches  of  the  cave — it  is 
done ;  and,  with  a  yell  of  triumph,  he  drops 
the  hammer  and  pulls  himself  upward. 

Every  robber  stands  like  a  statue,  white  of 
face  and  breathless  with  excitement,  staring 
upward  with  eyes  fixed  on  Bill,  who  is  now 
slowly  and  carefully  pulling  his  body  into  the 
cave.  They  see  his  head  and  shoulders  rise 
in  front  of  the  dark  outline  of  the  mouth  of 
the  cavern.  Then,  with  a  suddenness  as  start- 
ling as  it  was  unexpected,  they  see  him  throw 
up  both  hands  in  front  of  his  face,  uttering  so 
piercing  a  scream  of  terror  that  it  falls  on  their 
ears  like  the  cry  of  a  doomed  soul,  plunge 
backward,  and  come  whirling  down  from  that 
awful  height ;  and,  even  as  he  turns  in  mid- 
air, that  fearful  cry  bursts  from  his  lips  once 
again.  In  another  moment  he  lies  on  the 
rocks  at  their  feet,  a  bleeding  mass  of  broken 
bones  and  quivering  muscles. 

For  minutes  not  a  man  moved,  but  stood 
staring  on  that  bloody  thing  lying  on  the  rocks ; 
and  from  it  up  along  that  swaying  line  of  ropes 
to  the  mouth  of  the  cavern.  Not  a  sound  nor 


The  Ladder  of  Ropes  307 

a  movement  came  from  the  cave.  Black  and 
silent,  like  a  huge  spot  of  ink,  it  showed  on 
the  wall  of  the  canyon.  At  last  Black  Juan 
spoke,  and  his  voice  broke  the  spell  of  horror. 

"  Doubtless  he  lost  his  hold,  just  as  he  was 
about  to  climb  into  the  cave,"  he  said.  "  Remove 
his  body.  Now,  who  will  be  the  first  to  look 
upon  the  gold  and  jewels  hidden  in  that  cave  ? 
It  will  be  a  marvellous  sight.  The  pick  of  the 
jewels  will  belong  to  the  man  who  first  suc- 
ceeds in  entering  yonder  hole  in  the  mountain." 

Scar-face  stepped  forward.  "  I  'm  going  to 
get  into  that  cave  if  it  is  guarded  by  all  th' 
fiends  of  hell,"  he  declared.  "  Remember 
your  promise  'bout  th'  jewels,"  and,  gripping 
the  ladder,  he  began  climbing  upward  swiftly 
and  carefully. 

It  was  a  difficult  and  a  dangerous  climb.  The 
ladders  swayed  and  gave  under  his  weight. 
Once  a  picket  pin  tore  loose,  and  came  rattling 
down,  but  the  other  pin  held  and  on  he  went, 
on  and  up,  with  nerves  of  iron  and  muscles  of 
steel,  until  he  came  within  hand-reach  of  the 
cave.  Here  he  paused,  doubtless  to  rest  and 
to  summon  courage  for  the  final  effort — for 
whatever  horror  awaited  him. 

Dick  and  Harry  and  Loretta  watched  him 
with  fascinated  eyes.  What  would  happen 


308  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

when  he  pulled  himself  up  in  front  of  the 
mouth  of  the  cave  ?  Would  that  fearful 
scream  of  terror  again  ring  in  their  ears  ? 
Would  his  body  come  whirling  down  through 
the  air  as  Bill's  had  done  ?  What  horror  was 
it  that  lay  hidden  in  the  cave  ?  They  could 
not  fathom  the  mystery  any  more  than  could 
the  robbers.  They  thought  of  the  dread 
Chamber  of  the  Dead  Kings,  guarded  by 
that  ghastly  circle  of  grim  skeletons ;  and 
wondered  if  it  could  be  that  the  spirit  of 
these  dead  and  gone  monarchs  of  a  dead  and 
gone  race  kept  actual  watch  and  ward  over 
the  treasury  of  a  vanished  people. 

"  There  he  goes ! "  exclaimed  Harry,  as 
Scar-face  slowly  and  with  great  caution  began 
raising  himself  up  in  front  of  the  cave.  The 
boys  could  see  that  he  held  his  revolver  grip- 
ped between  his  teeth. 

Again  all  stood  like  statues,  breathless, 
awaiting  they  knew  not  what. 

"  Ah-h  !  He  is  in  the  cave  and  we  have 
lost  the  treasure ! "  Dick  cried,  as  Scar-face 
slowly  drew  himself  into  the  cave  and  vanished. 

The  robbers  broke  into  a  tumultuous  cheer. 
They  caught  hold  of  one  another's  hands,  and 
began  to  shout  and  laugh  and  dance.  The 
treasure  was  theirs ! 


"  Scar- face,  insane  with  fear,  plunged  headlong  out  of  the  cave,  and 
came  whirling  down  through  the  air." 

PAGE  309. 


The  Ladder  of  Ropes  309 

Hark! 

Again  that  fearful  cry  of  terror ! 

Every  man  stopped,  frozen  stiff  with  horror, 
exactly  where  the  sound  found  him,  and  turned 
a  ghastly  face  upward  just  in  time  to  see  Scar- 
face,  insane  with  fear,  plunge  headlong  out  of 
the  cave,  and  come  whirling  down  through  the 
air ;  and  even  as  he  fell,  again  that  awful 
scream  came  from  his  lips. 

What  did  it  mean  ?  Two  men,  the  most 
courageous  in  the  band,  had  been  driven  to 
sudden  and  terrible  deaths  by  the  horror  in 
the  cave.  Not  all  the  gold  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains  could  tempt  another  man  of  them 
to  make  the  venture.  They  were  not  afraid 
of  human  beings ;  but,  this  unknown  horror 
in  the  mouth  of  that  dreadful  cavern ! — They 
shuddered,  crossed  themselves,  and  stared, 
white-faced,  from  the  two  corpses  to  where  the 
dark  mouth  of  the  cave  showed  high  up  in  the 
wall  of  the  canyon.  For  fully  ten  minutes  not 
one  of  the  men  spoke  a  word,  hardly  stirred ; 
and  then  all,  as  if  moved  by  the  same  impulse, 
turned  and  walked  back  to  the  Council  Rock, 
leaving  the  bodies  of  Bill  and  Scar-face  where 
they  lay,  and  casting  glowering,  threatening 
glances  in  the  direction  of  Loretta  and  Dick 
and  Harry,  and  muttering  to  themselves. 

2o 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

ALMOST    A    HANGING 

DICK  and  Harry  and  Lorettawere  as  much 
mystified  and  horrified  by  the  sudden  and 
terrible  deaths  of  Bill  and  Scar-face  as  were 
the  robbers  themselves.  What  did  it  mean  ? 
They  could  find  no  reasonable  answer  to  this 
question.  The  only  possible  explanation 
seemed  to  be  that  the  two  men  had  seen  or 
fancied  they  had  seen  some  shape  more  terri- 
ble or  horrible  than  human  form ;  but  Dick 
and  Harry  and  Loretta,  like  all  sensible  child- 
ren, did  not  believe  in  ghosts  and  spirits ; 
and  yet,  when  they  thought  of  that  dread 
chamber  hung  with  the  gold-crowned  skele- 
tons, they  shuddered  and  looked  into  one  an- 
other's faces  wonderingly. 

"  Oh,  it  was  awful !  awful  !  What — what 
could  it  have  been  ? "  and  Loretta,  whose 
cheeks  were  as  white  as  new-fallen  snow, 
looked  from  the  face  of  one  boy  to  the  face 
of  the  other. 


Almost  A  Hanging  311 

"  I  don't  know,  I  can't  imagine,"  Dick  an- 
swered, shaking  his  head ;  "  and  it  was  awful 
to  hear  that  fearful  cry  and  to  see  those  two 
bodies  come  whirling  down  through  the  air; 
but,  whatever  it  was,  it  has  done  us  a  good 
turn — it  has  kept  the  robbers  from  getting  the 
treasure.  I  fancy  you  could  n't  get  one  of 
them  to  venture  up  those  rope  ladders  now  if 
he  knew  that  the  cave  was  full  of  diamonds 
—Hello  !  What  's  the  trouble  ? " 

The  voices  of  the  men  around  the  Council 
Rock  had  suddenly  grown  loud  and  angry ; 
and  then,  like  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves  about 
to  spring  upon  their  prey,  they  burst  away 
from  the  rock,  and  rushed,  cursing  and  yelling, 
toward  the  spot  where  the  startled  children 
had  jumped  to  their  feet. 

"  Get  in  front  of  Loretta,  quick ! "  Dick 
called.  "  Don't  let  a  man  lay  his  hand  on  her 
as  long  as  you  've  got  a  blow  left  in  you. 
I  guess  it  's  all  up  with  us  !  The  loss  of  the 
treasure  and  the  two  men  has  made  them 
frantic  ;  and  they  're  going  to  take  their  wrath 
out  on  us.  Oh,  if  Captain  Kent  and  Abel 
Johnson  would  only  come  !"  and  Dick  glanced 
longingly  down  the  canyon ;  but  there  was  not 
a  sign  of  help  of  any  kind  in  sight. 

Loretta  stood  behind  the  boys — both  had 


312  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

instantly  sprung  in  front  of  her.  Her  little 
hands  were  clinched,  her  jaws  were  set  tightly 
together,  her  eyes  were  blazing.  The  blood 
of  her  fighting  ancestors  was  jumping  hotly 
through  her  veins.  The  sight  of  her  glorious 
courage  nerved  Dick  and  Harry  to  desper- 
ation. 

There  was  no  use  of  appealing  to  the  men. 
One  glance  at  their  faces  was  sufficient  to  tell 
this.  They  were  insane  with  superstitious 
fear  and  deadly  wrath.  Nor  did  they  pause 
an  instant,  but  flung  themselves  upon  the  boys 
like  hungry  beasts. 

In  vain  Dick  and  Harry  attempted  to  breast 
this  deadly  wave  of  human  wrath  and  to  pro- 
tect Loretta.  Almost  in  an  instant  it  swept 
over  them  ;  and  Dick  lay  senseless  and  bleed- 
ing on  the  ground,  and  Harry  was  being 
dragged  with  brutal  roughness  toward  the 
Council  Rock,  in  the  grip  of  every  man  that 
could  lay  hands  on  him.  Dick  was  left  where 
he  lay.  Loretta  had  not  been  touched.  Evi- 
dently Harry  was  to  be  offered  up  on  the  altar 
of  their  vengeance.  He  had  told  them  where 
the  treasure  was,  had  pointed  out  that  fearful 
opening  in  the  wall  of  the  canyon,  had  been  the 
cause  of  the  frightful  death  of  their  two  com- 
rades ;  and  he  must  pay  the  penalty. 


Almost  A  Hanging  313 

Yelling  and  cursing  the  frenzied  men 
dragged  Harry  to  the  Council  Rock.  Here 
his  hands  were  bound  tightly  behind  him,  and 
he  was  lifted  to  the  top  of  the  rock.  He  now 
stood  where  Loretta  had  stood  once  before 
that  same  morning,  with  the  great  limb  hang- 
ing high  above  his  head.  The  rope  still  lay 
coiled  on  the  ground  by  the  side  of  the  rock* 
One  of  the  men  seized  the  rope  and  flung  it 
over  the  limb.  Another  man  jumped  upon 
the  rock  by  the  side  of  Harry,  and  adjusted 
the  noose  around  his  neck.  A  dozen  hands 
seized  hold  of  the  other  end  of  the  rope,  and 
stood  ready  to  pull,  waiting  the  command. 

Black  Juan  stepped  in  front  of  Harry.  His 
face  was  white  with  passion,  his  eyes  glowed 
like  the  eyes  of  a  poison-snake  when  about  to 
strike  ;  and  yet  he  was  calm.  His  voice,  when 
he  spoke,  was  not  raised,  and  he  smiled  and 
bowed  with  his  accustomed  politeness ;  he 
even  continued  to  speak  in  the  peculiar  dis- 
jointed English  that  he  affected. 

"  Pardon  this  great  rudeness,  sefior,"  he 
said,  with  a  deprecatory  smile  and  wave  of 
his  hand.  "  But  very  angry  are  my  men,  and 
you  they  would  hang  for  tempting  them  that 
devil's  cave  to  enter,  and  for  the  loss  of  so 
great  treasure,  and  the  death  of  brave  com- 


314          The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

rades.  Pardon,  also,  our  cruel  haste ;  but  im- 
patient are  my  men  the  death  dance  to  see 
and  to  know  that  the  blood  on  yonder  rocks 
avenged  is  before  it  dries ;  yet  I  will  give  you 
two  minutes  in  which  peace  to  make  with  thy 
God.  See,  this  white  handkerchief  I  hold  up. 
When  I  drop,  that  the  signal  will  be.  Down 
on  thy  knees,  boy,  for  in  two  minutes  thy 
soul  with  thy  God  will  be,"  and  he  smiled 
mockingly. 

So  suddenly  and  so  unexpectedly  had  all  this 
happened,  that  Harry,  poor  boy,  found  himself 
facing  a  horrible  death  almost  before  he  real- 
ized what  had  occurred.  At  the  words  of 
Black  Juan  he  cast  a  pitiful,  dazed,  helpless 
look  around  him ;  and,  for  a  moment,  it  ap- 
peared as  if  he  was  about  to  collapse.  His 
knees  began  to  shake  violently,  and  even  his 
lips  grew  white  as  chalk  ;  and  then  he  threw 
back  his  head  with  a  brave,  noble  look,  straight- 
ened up  his  form,  squared  back  his  shoulders, 
and  gazed  direct  into  the  eyes  of  Black  Juan. 
Harry  had  won  a  noble  victory.  He  had  con- 
quered the  fear  of  death.  He  did  not  speak. 
Words  were  vain.  Time  was  short.  The  end 
too  near. 

"  One  minute,''  and  Black  Juan  glanced  at 
his  watch. 


Almost  A  Hanging  315 

There  was  a  cry,  pitiful  in  its  agony, 
and  Loretta  threw  herself  at  Black  Juan's 
feet.  "  Oh,  save  him !  Save  him !  Save 
him,  Black  Juan!  Do  not  let  those  cruel 
men  hang  him  !  Save  him  !  Save  him  !  "  and 
she  caught  hold  of  his  hand.  "  Save  him  ! 
Save  him  !" 

"  Take  the  girl  away  and  stuff  rags  in  her 
mouth,"  Black  Juan  said,  never  for  a  moment 
taking  his  eyes  from  his  watch. 

When  Dick  recovered  consciousness  he  sat 
up  and  stared  blankly  around.  What  had 
happened  ?  What  was  happening  ?  He  saw 
the  men  gathered  around  the  Council  Rock. 
Saw  Harry  in  their  midst  and  the  rope  around 
his  neck.  He  heard  Loretta's  cry  of  agony  and 
saw  her  throw  herself  at  Black  Juan's  feet; 
then  the  whole  horrible  truth  burst  upon  him. 
They  were  about  to  hang  Harry,  Harry  his 
chum,  the  best  friend  he  had  in  the  world  ! 
Hang  Harry  !  With  a  yell,  Dick  leaped  to  his 
feet,  caught  up  a  heavy  club  from  the  ground, 
and,  in  his  insane  wrath,  rushed  single-handed 
to  Harry's  rescue. 

One  of  the  men  saw  him  coming,  drew  his 
six-shooter,  and  fired,  just  as  Dick  was  about 
to  hurl  himself  on  Black  Juan. 

Dick  threw  up  both  hands,  the  club  dropped, 


316          The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

he  plunged  forward,  and  tumbled,  face  down- 
ward, almost  at  the  feet  of  Black  Juan. 

Black  Juan  smiled.  "  Two  minutes,"  he 
said,  dropped  the  handkerchief,  uttered  a 
startled  gasping  cry,  staggered  blindly,  and 
with  a  ghastly  look  of  surprise  and  horror  oh 
his  face,  fell  across  the  body  of  Dick. 

At  the  same  moment  three  of  the  men,  who 
held  the  rope  and  had  pulled  Harry  off  his 
feet  the  moment  the  handkerchief  had  dropped, 
uttered  choking  cries  and  sank  to  the  ground. 
The  remaining  robbers  stood,  stunned  by  the 
awful  suddenness  of  the  deaths  of  their  com- 
rades, for  a  moment  too  horrified  to  move  a 
muscle ;  and  then,  with  fearful  glances  toward 
the  dread  cave  whence  they  were  sure  the 
winged  deaths  had  come,  they  fled  down  the 
canyon  away  from  the  terror  of  that  accursed 
cavern ;  and,  even  as  they  ran,  two  more  men 
plunged  forward  on  their  faces  and  lay  still. 

Hardly  had  these  two  men  fallen  when  a 
man,  with  a  rope  around  his  waist,  swung  him- 
self out  of  the  cave,  and  was  swiftly  lowered 
to  the  ground.  He  was  quickly  followed  by 
another  and  another,  as  fast  as  ropes  and 
arms  could  lower  them.  As  soon  as  these 
men  touched  the  ground  they  started,  with  all 
possible  speed,  for  the  Council  Rock. 


Almost  A  Hanging  317 

The  first  man  down  ran  to  where  Dick  lay, 
jerked  the  form  of  Black  Juan  violently  off 
the  boy's  body,  gently  turned  the  lad  over  on 
his  back,  and,  with  trembling  hands,  tore  open 
his  shirt  and  laid  his  palm  over  his  heart 

"  Thank  God,  the  boy  is  alive ! "  And 
then  he  jumped  to  his  feet  and  shouted  to 
the  second  man,  in  a  voice  that  trembled 
with  gladness :  "  Thank  God,  the  boy  is 
alive ! "  This  done  he  knelt  by  the  lad's 
side,  and  with  swift,  skilful  fingers  set  about 
stanching  the  blood  that  flowed  from  the 
wound  in  Dick's  bosom. 

The  second  man,  with  equal  impetuosity 
and  anxiety,  hurried  to  where  Loretta  lay, 
her  hands  bound  and  a  gag  rudely  fastened 
in  her  mouth.  She  had  fainted. 

"  My  little  gal !  My  little  gal ! "  and  the 
great  arms  caught  her  up  from  the  ground, 
and  in  a  trice  the  gag  was  out  of  her 
mouth  and  her  bonds  cut. 

A  shudder  ran  through  the  girl's  form.  She 
opened  her  eyes,  and  looked  into  her  father's 
face.  "  Papa  ! "  The  look  of  supreme  glad- 
ness that  shone  in  her  face  must  have  made 
all  the  angels  in  heaven  smile.  "  Papa ! " 
and  her  arms  were  around  his  neck,  and  she 

was     sobbing    hysterically.      But,    the     next 

2p 


318  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

moment,  she  leaped  from  her  father's  arms 
and  screamed:  "They  are  hanging  Harry! 
Save  him  ! "  and  swooned  again. 

By  this  time  the  third  man  had  arrived, 
and  he  hastened  to  where  Harry  lay  on  the 
great  Council  Rock,  the  noose  still  around  his 
neck. 

Harry  was  conscious,  but  breathing  with 
great  difficulty,  on  account  of  the  noose  being 
drawn  tightly  around  his  throat.  In  two 
minutes  his  hands  and  neck  were  free,  and 
the  dumbfounded  boy  was  sitting  up,  staring 
around  him. 

"  Dick  and  Loretta  ?  Are  they  both  safe  ?  " 
he  asked  the  moment  he  could  speak. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  answered  the  man.  "  Least- 
wise there 's  Loretta  kissin'  all  th'  tan  off 
her  pa's  cheeks ;  and  I  reckon  Captain  Kent 
'11  soon  bring  Dick  'round  all  hunky-dora. 
Holy  smoke !  but  we  did  give  it  to  them 
robbers ! "  and  he  glanced  around  on  the 
bodies  lying  abcut  the  Council  Rock. 

"  But  Dick  was  shot.  I  saw  him  fall.  He 
may  be  dead,"  and  Harry  jumped  to  his  feet, 
and  ran  to  where  Captain  Kent  was  still 
bending  over  Dick. 

Just  as  Harry  reached  his  side  and  stooped 
over  him,  Dick  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  up 


Almost  A  Hanging  319 

into  Harry's  face  for  a  moment  questioningly, 
then  he  smiled  and  feebly  raised  one  of  his 
hands.  "  Shake,  old  boy,"  he  said,  "  you  're  a 
sight  good  for  sore  eyes.  I  never  thought  to 
see  you  alive  again.  But  it 's  all — all — right — 
now,"  and,  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  he  again 
sank  into  unconsciousness. 

Loretta  and  Abel  Johnson  now  hurried  to 
where  Captain  Kent  and  Harry  stood  over 
Dick.  Loretta  uttered  a  low  cry,  and  throw- 
ing herself  down  by  the  side  of  the  insensible 
boy,  lifted  his  head  into  her  lap,  with  a 
gentleness  that  only  angels  and  women  have. 
"  Water,  water,  quick  !  Some  one  bring  me 
water,"  she  demanded.  "  He  has  fainted." 

Harry  ran  to  the  river,  and  in  a  minute 
was  back  with  a  hat  full  of  water.  Loretta 
gently  sprinkled  the  cooling  fluid  over  Dick's 
face,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  blue  eyes 
opened  again. 

Dick  looked  up  at  Loretta,  smiled  con- 
tentedly, and  said:  "I'll  be  all  right  now, 
little  girl.  Just  let  me  sleep.  I  'm  so— so 
slee-py,"  and  he  closed  his  eyes. 

Abel  Johnson  took  Captain  Kent  a  little 
to  one  side.  "  Is  his  wound  fatal,  David  ? " 
he  asked,  his  voice  husky  with  emotion. 

"  I  fear  it  is,"  Captain  Kent  answered,  "but 


320  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

we  must  hope  for  the  best,  Abel.  He  has 
lost  a  great  quantity  of  blood  and  is  very 
weak.  Let  him  sleep  as  long  as  he  will.  I 
have  done  all  that  I  can  for  him ;  and  now 
I  have  another  duty  to  perform,"  and  Captain 
Kent's  face  grew  white  and  stern  :  "  You  and 
Loretta  and  Harry  stay  with  Dick.  I  will 
take  the  cowboys  and  go  after  the  rest  of  the 
robbers.  If  Cowboy  Jim  and  Red  Hank  and 
Dutch  are  still  at  the  Devil's  Backbone  not 
one  of  them  can  escape,"  and  calling  to  the 
cowboys,  all  of  whom  had  now  descended 
from  the  cave,  he  led  them  down  the  canyon, 
following  the  trail  of  the  flying  robbers. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

KID    DALTON 

DICK  slept  quietly,  his  head  resting  in  Lo- 
retta's  lap,  and  her  soft  hand  gently 
stroking  his  brow.  Harry  sat  at  his  side, 
watching  the  face  of  his  loved  comrade,  and 
struggling  manfully  to  keep  back  the  tears,  as 
he  thought  of  what  the  loss  of  the  brave,  noble- 
hearted  boy  would  mean  to  him — to  all  his 
friends.  Abel  Johnson  stood  for  a  few  min- 
utes, looking  sadly  at  the  three  children  ;  and 
then,  with  lips  set  straight  across  his  tightly 
shut  teeth,  he  went  to  where  the  body  of  Black 
Juan  lay. 

The  robber  chieftain  was  unconscious,  but 
alive,  the  precious  life-blood  still  flowing  from 
the  wound  in  his  breast. 

The  heart  of  Abel  Johnson  hardened,  as  he 
looked  on  the  man  who  had  so  treacherously 
and  cruelly  stolen  his  child  and  who  had  been 
the  cause  of  all  this  woe.  He  knew  that  Black 
Juan  would  die,  if  his  wounds  were  not 


322  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

promptly  attended  to.  Why  should  he  at- 
tempt to  save  him?  He  had  only  to  leave 
him  alone,  and  in  a  few  minutes  at  the  most 
he  would  bleed  to  death.  Let  him  die.  He 
deserved  a  much  more  painful  death  than  this. 
There  were  others  who  had  been  shot.  Per- 
haps they  needed  his  help.  With  a  dark 
scowl  on  his  face  Abel  Johnson  left  Black  Juan 
where  he  lay,  slowly  bleeding  to  death,  and 
hurried  to  the  bodies  of  the  three  men  who 
had  been  struck  just  as  they  pulled  the  rope 
that  had  jerked  Harry  into  the  air.  They  lay 
sprawled  out  on  the  ground,  faces  downward. 
He  turned  one  of  the  bodies  over.  It  needed 
but  a  glance  at  the  white  set  face  to  tell  that 
the  man  was  dead.  He  bent  over  the  next 
one,  hesitated ;  and  then  the  scowl  left  his 
face,  and  he  hastened  back  to  the  side  of  Black 
Juan.  However  great  his  wrongs  had  been, 
the  avenging  of  them  was  not  in  his  hands. 
He  would  do  what  he  could  to  save  the  robber 
chieftain. 

All  plainsmen  have  a  knowledge  of  the 
simpler  forms  of  surgery,  and  in  a  short  time, 
Abel  Johnson  had  stopped  the  flow  of  blood 
and  bound  up  the  wound.  In  doing  this  he 
had  torn  open  Black  Juan's  shirt  and  exposed 
his  bosom.  The  skin  underneath  his  clothes 


Kid  Dalton  323 

was  white.  Evidently  there  was  not  a  drop  of 
Mexican  blood  in  him ;  and  his  hair  and  face 
had  been  dyed.  Abel  Johnson  looked  long 
and  steadily  into  the  face  of  the  unconscious 
robber ;  and  then  it  slowly  dawned  upon  him 
that  the  man  before  him  could  be  none  other 
than  the  notorious  train-robber  and  desperado 
Kid  Dalton,  the  most  admired,  hated,  and 
feared  man  in  all  the  Southwest ;  and  he  called 
to  mind  the  many  stories  he  had  heard  of  the 
exploits  of  this  young,  well-educated,  coura- 
geous man,  who  had  deliberately  and  apparently 
from  purely  inherent  wickedness  chosen  to 
live  the  life  of  a  desperado ;  and  he  wondered 
greatly  that  neither  he  nor  Captain  Kent  had 
suspected  him  when  he  came  so  near  to  win- 
ning the  prize  in  the  steer-tying  contest;  for 
Kid  Dalton  was  almost  as  famous  for  his  skill 
with  the  rope  as  he  was  infamous  for  his 
cruelty  and  daring  as  a  desperado. 

When  Abel  Johnson  had  done  all  that  he 
could  for  the  safety  and  comfort  of  Kid  Dal- 
ton, he  gave  his  attention  to  the  other  robbers 
who  had  been  shot.  They  lay  where  they  had 
fallen  ;  and  so  true  had  been  the  aim  of  the 
rifles  that  the  death  of  each  one  must  have 
been  almost  instantaneous. 

Dick   slept  quietly  for  some   three  hours, 


324          The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

when  he  was  awakened  by  the  bustle  attending 
the  return  of  Captain  Kent. 

All  the  robbers  had  been  captured.  They 
had  surrendered  without  a  fight,  when  they 
found  that  the  other  side  of  the  Devil's  Back- 
bone was  guarded  and  that  they  were  caught 
in  their  own  trap.  Captain  Kent  had  at  once 
dispatched  Dutch  to  El  Moro  after  the  sheriff 
to  take  charge  of  the  prisoners ;  and,  leaving 
the  captured  robbers  strongly  bound  and  safely 
guarded,  he  hastened  back  to  the  Council 
Rock.  Dutch  had  also  been  instructed  to 
bring  back  with  him  the  best  surgeon  in  El 
Moro;  for  Captain  Kent  did  not  think  it 
wise  to  move  Dick  from  where  he  was,  un- 
til his  wound  had  been  examined  by  a  doctor 
and  he  had  been  advised  what  was  best  to 
do. 

One  of  the  robbers'  tents  was  now  made  ready 
for  the  wounded  boy ;  and  very  carefully  he 
was  placed  in  an  improvised  litter,  and  carried 
thither,  and  Loretta  and  Harry  installed  as 
nurses.  Dick  tried  to  make  merry  of  his 
wound ;  but  the  deathly  whiteness  of  his  face 
and  the  extreme  weakness  and  lassitude  of  his 
body  told  even  the  inexperienced  eyes  of  Lo- 
retta and  Harry  the  seriousness  of  his  condi- 
tion. They  knew  that  his  life  hung  in  the 


Kid  Dalton  325 

balance ;  and  the  coming  of  the  doctor  was 
awaited  with  the  most  poignant  anxiety. 

When  all  this  had  been  done,  and  the  bodies 
of  the  dead  robbers  had  been  carried  into  one 
of  the  tents,  and  Black  Juan,  alias  Kid  Dalton, 
had  been  made  comfortable  in  another  tent, 
Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson  and  Cowboy 
Jim  withdrew  a  little  to  one  side  to  take  coun- 
sel. For  the  past  day  or  two  the  pressure  of 
the  terrible  and  exciting  experiences  they  had 
passed  through  had  driven  all  thoughts  of  the 
treasure  out  of  their  heads  ;  but  now  they 
again  had  leisure  to  turn  their  minds  in  its 
alluring  direction,  and  it  was  to  consider  what 
was  the  best  thing  to  do  regarding  the  treas- 
ure, under  the  present  circumstances,  that  they 
had  met 

A  half  an  hour  later,  Captain  Kent  noise- 
lessly entered  the  tent  where  Dick  lay  sleep- 
ing, and  motioned  Harry  to  follow  him. 

"Abel  Johnson  and  Cowboy  Jim  and  I  are 
going  into  the  hermit's  cave  to  examine  the 
treasure  and  to  plan  how  best  to  remove  it," 
he  said,  the  moment  they  had  gone  a  sufficient 
distance  from  the  tent ;  "  and  we  wish  you  to 
go  with  us.  Will  you  come  ?  I  do  not  think 
that  Dick  is  in  any  immediate  danger." 

"  Can't  we  wait  until  Dick  gets  well  ?"  Harry 
2Q 


326  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

asked.  "  It — it  don't  seem  right  to  go  into 
that  cave  without  him." 

"  No,"  Captain  Kent  answered.  "  It  will  be 
weeks,  probably,  before  Dick  will  be  a  well 
boy  again  ;  and  the  treasure  must  be  secured 
at  once,  now  that  it  is  known,  or  it  will  be 
mighty  little  that  we  will  ever  see  of  it.  I 
know  how  you  feel,  Harry  ;  but  our  wisest 
course  is  to  get  the  treasure  out  of  that  cave 
as  soon  as  possible." 

"  I  will  go  and  tell  Loretta,"  Harry  replied, 
"so  that  she  will  not  worry  over  our  being 
away,"  and  he  hurried  back  to  the  tent.  In  a 
few  minutes  he  returned  and  signified  to  Cap- 
tain Kent  that  he  was  ready. 

At  this  moment  the  cowboy  in  whose 
care  the  robber  chieftain  had  been  left  hurried 
up. 

"  That  robber  is  wantin'  you  an'  th'  two 
kids  bad,"  he  said  to  Captain  Kent.  "  I 
reckon  he  's  gettin'  'bout  ready  to  throw  down 
his  hand  an'  give  up  th'  game  ;  an'  he  'pears  to 
have  somethin'  on  his  mind  that  he  wants  to 
unload  afore  he  makes  th'  Great  Jump." 

"  All  right,"  Captain  Kent  responded. 
"  Wait  here,  Abel  and  Jim.  Come  on,  Harry," 
and,  followed  by  Harry,  he  hastened  to  the 
tent  where  Black  Juan,  alias  Kid  Dalton, 


Kid  Dalton  327 

the  desperado,  was  anxiously  awaiting  their 
coming. 

The  robber  lay  on  an  old  blanket  in  the 
middle  of  the  tent,  with  another  blanket  rolled 
up  for  a  pillow  and  placed  under  his  head. 

The  moment  Captain  Kent's  eyes  rested  on 
his  white  face  he  saw  that  he  was  dying. 

"Where  's  Dick,  the  other  boy?"  the 
wounded  man  cried,  the  instant  he  saw  Cap- 
tain Kent  and  Harry.  "  I  want  him,  too." 

"He  was  shot,  and  is  now  lying  at  the  point 
of  death,"  Captain  Kent  replied  severely. 

"  A-ah,  I  forgot.  It  does  not  matter  much, 
but  I  thought  I  would  like  to  have  him  know." 
For  a  minute  the  robber  was  silent,  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  face  of  Captain  Kent,  as  if  he 
was  studying  how  best  to  begin,  in  order  to 
appeal  to  the  stern  man  before  him. 

"  Well,"  he  began  abruptly,  "  I  Ve  hit  the 
Long  Trail  at  last,  and,  believe  me  or  not, 
I  'm  sorrowing  none  over  my  finis.  '  I  'm  glad 
to  go,'  as  the  dying  sinner  frequently  remarks, 
in  sermons,"  and  a  shadow  of  the  old  defi- 
ant smile  played  around  the  white  lips.  "  Life 
is  but  a  shoddy  coat  at  best,  and  I  am  glad 
to  throw  it  off.  Boy" — and  with  a  startling 
suddenness  he  turned  and  fixed  his  glowing 
eyes  on  Harry — "  boy,  live  straight  and  leave 


328  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

liquor  alone.  Crookedness  don't  pan  out  well, 
and  liquor  is  the  devil's  best  ally.  Leave 
both  alone.  How  old  do  you  think  I  am  ? — 
Twenty-five  last  April — and — and  I  am  glad 
to  die  and  get  out  of  this  rotten  old  world. 
There,  that 's  the  first,  last,  and  only  sermon 
Kid  Dalton  ever  preached ;  and  it 's  straight 
from  the  heart.  Remember  it,  boy."  Again 
his  eyes  turned  to  the  face  of  Captain  Kent. 
"  I — I — I —  "  a  spasm  of  pain  shot  over  his  face. 
"  I  must  speak  quickly,  or  the  devil  '11  get  me 
before  I  'm  done.  I  Ve  a  wife  living  in  Den- 
ver. You  '11  find  her  photo  and  address  in  my 
pocket.  She  's  a  good  girl  and  young  and 
don't  know  that  I  'm  bad.  Will  you  take  my 
rings  and  watch  to  her  and  tell  her  that  I  am 
dead — died  loving  her?  Don't  tell  her  how  I 
died — don't  hint  to  her  what  I  've  been — let 
her  still  think  me  honest  and  true.  Will  you 
do  this?" 

"Yes,  I  will  do  what  you  ask.  Your  wife 
will  only  know  that  you  were  shot  in  a  contest 
with  robbers.  Now,"  and  Captain  Kent  knelt 
by  the  dying  man's  side,  "  have  you  no  repara- 
tion to  make  for  the  many  wanton  and  brutal 
crimes  you  have  committed  ?  Remember  you 
have  but  a  few  minutes  to  undo  a  life  of  crime." 

The   face  of   the  robber   hardened.     *'  I  '11 


Kid  Dalton  329 

take  my  death  straight,  Captain.  No  baby 
act,  no  deathbed  repentance,  in  mine.  Now," 
and  again  he  turned  to  Harry,  "  I  fancy  you  Ve 
been  wondering  a  bit  how  I  learned  of  the 
treasure.  Have  you  forgotten  your  agreeable 
fellow-traveller  of  last  summer,  Mr.  William 
Worthington,  who  so  kindly  tried  to  relieve 
you  of  your  satchels  of  jewels  ?  If  you  '11  take 
soap  and  water  and  scrub  my  face  and  hair, 
you  '11  discover  another  name  for  that  agreea- 
ble young  gentleman,"  and  he  smiled.  "  My 
Mexican  was  not  even  skin-deep.  I — "  He 
stopped  abruptly ;  a  startled,  wondering  look 
came  into  his  eyes,  and  his  face  became  gray- 
ish white.  Suddenly,  with  a  wild  yell  of  defi- 
ance, he  leaped  to  his  feet,  his  right  hand  went 
swiftly  to  his  side  in  search  of  his  six-shooter, 
and  he  fell  forward,  face  downward,  the  blood 
gushing  from  his  mouth — Kid  Dalton  was  dead. 

Without  a  word,  Captain  Kent  took  Harry 
by  the  hand  and  led  him  from  the  tent  of  the 
dead  robber. 

Harry  never  forgot  that  terrible  death  scene, 
nor  the  words  of  the  dying  robber ;  and  from 
that  day  never  a  drop  of  intoxicating  liquors 
passed  his  lips,  and,  whenever  a  hint  of 
crookedness  came  his  way,  he  thought  of  Kid 
Dalton  and  walked  straight 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

IN   THE   CHAMBER    OF    THE    DEAD    KINGS 

CAPTAIN  KENT  and  Harry  now  hast 
^— '  ened  to  where  Abel  Johnson  and  Cow- 
boy Jim  were  awaiting  them.  The  two  men 
looked  up  inquiringly,  as  they  approached. 

"  He  is  dead,"  Captain  Kent  said  quietly. 

In  one  of  the  tents  of  the  robbers  a  box  of 
tallow  candles  had  been  found.  Captain  Kent 
bade  Harry  secure  a  dozen  of  these  candles. 
This  done,  they  at  once  started  for  the  treasure 
cave. 

When  they  reached  the  wall  of  the  canyon 
directly  under  the  opening  to  the  cave,  Cap- 
tain Kent  gave  a  loud  call.  Instantly  a  couple 
of  heads  were  thrust  out  of  the  cave,  and  the 
call  answered. 

"Throw  down  the  rope.  We  are  coming 
up,"  Captain  Kent  shouted. 

The  next  moment  the  end  of  a  long,  thickly 
knotted  rope  fell  from  the  cave's  entrance,  and 
struck  the  ground  near  Harry's  feet.  This 


The  Chamber  of  the  Dead  Kings      331 

end  was  tied  to  the  middle  of  a  strong  piece 
of  wood  about  two  feet  long. 

44  Get  on  the  elevator,  Harry,"  Captain  Kent 
said,  pointing  to  the  piece  of  wood.  4<  You 
are  to  go  up  first.  Then  you  can  help  Bill 
Burke  and  Joe  pull  us  heavier  folks  up." 

Harry  promptly  seated  himself  on  the  piece 
of  wood  and  gripped  the  rope  tightly. 

44  Ready  ! "  shouted  Captain  Kent,  and  the 
novel  elevator  started. 

As  Harry  glanced  upward  at  the  long,  thin 
rope,  that  looked  all  too  frail  to  support  his 
weight,  and  thought  of  being  jerked,  dangling 
from  its  end,  two  hundred  feet  high  into  the 
air,  he  became,  to  say  the  least,  a  bit  nervous  ; 
and  the  higher  he  got  the  more  nervous  he 
grew,  until,  long  before  he  reached  the  cave 
entrance,  he  had  to  shut  his  eyes,  grit  his 
teeth  hard,  and  hold  on  to  the  rope  for  dear 
life,  to  keep  from  losing  control  of  himself  and 
falling;  and,  when  at  last  the  strong  hands 
of  Bill  Burke  gripped  him  by  the  wrists  and 
pulled  him  into  the  cave,  he  felt  like  shouting 
for  joy,  so  great  was  his  relief  to  find  his  feet 
again  resting  on  the  solid  rock. 

"  Golly,  but  I  's  powerful  glad  to  see  yo' 
again,  Massah  Harry!"  Bill  Burke  exclaimed 
the  moment  Harry  was  safely  in  the  cave. 


332  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

"  Now,  yo'  jes  lend  a  hand  wid  de  rope,  an' 
we  '11  have  Massah  Captain  Kent  an'  Abel 
Johnson  an'  Cowboy  Jim  up  here  mighty  sud- 
den. Dis  am  a  powerful  scarey  cave,  an'  full 
ob  dead  mans'  spirits,  an'  I  done  want  to  get 
out  ob  it.  Hope  yo'  lebt  Massah  Dick  an' 
Miss  'Retta  well,"  and  the  negro  leaned  out  of 
the  cave  and  began  rapidly  lowering  the  rope. 

In  a  short  time  Captain  Kent  and  Abel 
Johnson  and  Cowboy  Jim  were  safely  landed 
in  the  cave.  Each  man  now  lit  a  candle ;  and 
Captain  Kent  led  the  way  toward  the  treasure 
chamber. 

For  about  thirty  feet  the  cave  ran  straight 
back  into  the  mountain,  then  it  made  an  ab- 
rupt turn  to  the  right,  and  some  twenty  feet 
farther  on  separated  into  two  branches.  The 
openings  to  these  branches  were  both  narrow, 
hardly  wider  than  doorways.  Here  Captain 
Kent  paused  and  turned  to  Abel  Johnson. 
The  flickering  light  of  the  tallow  candles,  in  the 
inky  blackness  that  closed  in  around  them,  gave 
a  weird,  almost  spectral,  aspect  to  their  faces 
and  forms  and  surroundings ;  while  their  eyes, 
in  the  candlelight,  sparkled  as  if  their  brains 
were  on  fire.  Even  the  face  of  Bill  Burke 
looked  several  shades  whiter  against  that  awfuJ. 
background  of  blackness. 


The  Chamber  of  the  Dead  Kings      333 

"  It  is  the  right-hand  passage  that  leads  to 
the  treasure  chamber,  is  it  not,  Abel?"  and 
Captain  Kent's  voice  trembled  with  the  excite- 
ment that  he  was  vainly  trying  to  keep  under 
control. 

"Yes,  yes,"  answered  Abel  Johnson,  in  a 
husky  whisper.  "Zounds,  what  if  the  trea- 
sure should  be  gone  ! " 

Harry's  heart  was  now  thumping  violently, 
as  he  stood  there  before  the  entrance  to  that 
dread  Chamber  of  the  Dead  Kings.  Again 
he  seemed  to  see  the  hermit  lighting  the  circle 
of  candles  around  that  piled-up  mass  of  gold, 
saw  him  straighten  up  when  the  last  candle 
was  lit,  and  almost  heard  him  say  again,  as  he 
pointed  to  the  walls  of  the  chamber :  "  Now, 
take  a  look  around  the  room  and  see  who 
guards  the  gold."  In  fancy  he  again  saw  the 
white,  startled  faces  of  his  companions,  as  they 
glanced  around  that  awesome  chamber,  and  saw 
the  grim  row  of  gold-crowned  skeletons  that 
circled  its  walls,  suspended  by  their  chains  of 
gold  ;  and  he  trembled,  even  at  the  remem- 
brance of  the  shudder  that  ran  through  his  own 
frame  at  the  sight. 

"  Come  on,"  called  Captain  Kent ;  but,  even 
as  he  spoke,  a  low,  deep,  fearful  sound,  like 
the  ghostly  breathing  of  a  great  army,  hardly 

2R 


334          The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

audible  yet  sounding  indescribably  awful  com- 
ing from  the  black  depths  of  that  dread  cavern, 
chained  every  foot  to  the  rock  where  it  stood ; 
while,  almost  at  the  same  moment,  the  solid 
rocks  beneath  them  shuddered,  and  a  chill  damp 
wind,  like  a  breath  from  a  mighty  tomb,  swept 
by  their  faces  and  extinguished  every  candle. 

"O  Lo'd  Gawd  A'mighty,  save  dis  nig- 
gah!  "  moaned  Bill  Burke,  falling  on  his  trem- 
bling knees.  "  I 's  done  repent  all  my  wick- 
edness, 'deed  I  does  !  O  Gawd — " 

"  Shut  up,  you  black  idiot,"  Captain  Kent 
commanded,  as  he  struck  a  match  and  quietly 
lit  his  candle  ;  but  the  hand  that  held  the 
candle  trembled  and  the  face  above  it  was 
white. 

In  a  minute  every  candle  was  again  burning, 
and  all  were  staring  into  one  another's  white 
faces.  What  did  that  dread  sound  mean  ? 

"  Come  on,"  again  called  Captain  Kent,  and 
led  the  way  into  the  entrance  to  the  treasure 
chamber,  holding  his  flaring  candle  in  front  of 
him. 

The  narrow  passageway  continued  for  per- 
haps ten  feet,  and  then  widened  out  into  a 
large  circular  chamber. 

Captain  Kent  had  barely  entered  this  cham- 
ber, when,  with  an  exclamation  of  horror,  he 


The  Chamber  of  the  Dead  Kings       335 

suddenly  leaped  backward.  Another  step  for- 
ward and  he  would  have  plunged  into  an  abyss 
of  such  appalling  depth  that  it  made  the  soul 
reel  to  think  of  the  terror  of  such  a  fall. 

The  floor  of  the  chamber  had  dropped  into 
an  unfathomable  pit ! 

Captain  Kent  and  his  companions  stood 
near  the  ragged  edge  of  a  narrow  platform 
that  hung  before  the  entrance  to  the  chamber. 
The  room  was  not  so  large  but  the  light  of 
their  candles  was  sufficient  to  illuminate  it,  so 
that  its  opposite  walls  could  be  seen  quite 
clearly. 

"  The  treasure  !  Captain  Kent,  the  treasure 
is  gone  ! "  Harry  cried,  staring  blankly  down 
into  that  black  hole,  whither  all  that  marvel- 
lous mass  of  gold,  for  which  already  so  much 
blood  had  been  shed,  had  vanished  forever 
from  the  eyes  of  man. 

Around  the  walls  of  the  chamber  still  hung 
the  circle  of  skeletons,  wearing  their  crowns 
of  gold,  and  one  might  fancy  them  staring  out 
of  the  hollow  sockets  of  their  eyes  contemptu- 
ously at  these  men  of  another  race,  who  had 
so  vainly  attempted  to  rob  them  of  the  treasure 
they  had  guarded  so  long  and  safely. 

"  Not  a  hunk  as  big  as  a  hoss  tooth  left ! " 
exclaimed  Cowboy  Jim  disgustedly.  "  Blamed 


336  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

if  I  don't  reckon  that  grinnin'  string  of  bones 
is  responsible  for  this  cave-in,"  and  he  glared 
wrathfully  at  the  row  of  skeletons.  Suddenly 
his  face  lighted  up.  "  Ginger,  look  over  yon- 
der!  Ain't  that  thing  gold?"  and  he  pointed 
to  where  an  urn-like  vessel,  perhaps  eighteen 
inches  high,  stood  at  the  feet  of  a  triple- 
crowned  skeleton,  glowing  a  dull  yellow  in  the 
candlelight. 

"  It  is  ! "  shouted  Harry.  "  And  it  may  be 
full  of  jewels,  the  same  as  those  other  vases 
were  that  we  found  at  the  bottom  of  the  secret 
stairway !  But  how  can  we  get  it  ? "  and  he 
stared  disappointedly  at  the  vase,  which  stood 
on  a  projecting  shelf  of  rock  not  more  than 
twelve  inches  wide,  and  some  twenty  feet  from 
where  they  were  standing.  This  shelf,  with 
short  breaks  here  and  there,  extended  com- 
pletely around  the  chamber,  and  offered  an 
exceedingly  narrow  and  dangerous  pathway 
to  the  golden  urn. 

"Well,"  Cowboy  Jim  responded,  after  a 
moment's  consideration  of  the  situation,  "  I 
reckon  it 's  up  to  you,  Harry,  bein'  that  you  're 
th'  smallest  animal  in  th'  herd,  to  jest  crawl 
out  on  that  shelf  an'  get  that  hunk  of  gold," 
and  he  smiled,  never  dreaming  that  the  boy 
would  dare  to  make  the  venture. 


The  Chamber  of  the  Dead  Kings       337 

"I'll  do  it!"  Harry  exclaimed. 

"What's  that?"  Captain  Kent  asked 
sharply.  "What 's  that  you  '11  do,  young  man  ?  " 

"Get  that  gold  vase,"  answered  Harry, 
promptly.  "  Now,  listen,  and  you  will  see 
that  it  is  not  such  a  foolhardy  thing  to  do 
as  you  imagine.  Cowboy  Jim  has  got  his 
rope  with  him;  and  he  can  slip  its  noose 
over  my  body  and  fasten  it  tight  under  my 
arms,  and  then  you  all  can  take  hold  of  the 
rope,  and  if  I  should  fall  all  you  will  have 
to  do  is  to  hold  on  tight  and  pull  me  out. 
I  want  that  vase.  I  can  get  it,  can't  I, 
Captain  Kent?" 

Somewhat  reluctantly  Captain  Kent  gave 
his  consent ;  and  the  noose  was  drawn  tight 
around  Harry's  body  close  under  his  arms. 
A  number  of  knots  were  now  tied  in  the 
other  end  of  the  rope,  and  all  took  hold  of 
it,  and  then  Harry  got  down  on  his  hands 
and  knees,  and  began  slowly  crawling  out  on 
that  precarious  shelf  of  rocks,  keeping  his 
eyes  turned  constantly  toward  the  wall,  to 
prevent  himself  from  getting  dizzy  at  the 
sight  of  the  hideous  depths  below  him. 

The  men  stood  watching  his  every  move- 
ment, tightly  gripping  the  rope  and  standing 
braced,  ready  for  the  pull  should  he  fall. 


338          The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Cautiously,  carefully,  inch  by  inch,  the  boy 
crept  along  that  narrow  ledge  of  rock,  hung 
like  a  shelf  over  the  fearful  blackness  of 
that  dread  abyss,  from  whose  dark  depths 
came  low  murmuring  and  mutterings  like  the 
whisperings  of  giant  demons,  until,  at  length, 
his  hand  touched  the  golden  urn. 

"Golly,  he  am  got  it!"  Bill  Burke  ex- 
claimed, his  eyes  rolling  with  excitement. 

But,  even  as  Harry's  arms  closed  round 
the  precious  vessel,  up  from  the  awful  depths 
of  that  black  gulf  rolled  again  that  low,  deep, 
mighty  roar,  and  the  rocks  shook,  and  a  blast 
of  chill  wind  blew  upward,  and  the  candles 
went  out,  and  all  was  blackness.  At  that 
fearful  moment,  when  the  air  seemed  filled 
with  the  sound  of  ghostly  breathings,  and 
the  solid  earth  trembled,  and  no  human  eye 
could  see,  a  shriek  of  such  deadly  terror  rang 
out  through  the  blackness,  that,  for  an  instant, 
even  those  brave  men  stood  paralyzed  with 
fear ;  and  then 

"  Hold  on  to  the  rope  !  For  your  lives, 
hold  on  to  the  rope ! "  shouted  Captain  Kent, 
in  an  agony  of  apprehension.  4t  Harry  has 
fallen!" 

At  the  first  word  of  Captain  Kent  the  men 
realized  the  awful  thing  that  had  happened, 


The  Chamber  of  the  Dead  Kings       339 

and  every  muscle  became  like  steel,  as  they 
braced  themselves  for  the  strain.  It  came — 
a  tremendous  jerk,  a  long  swinging  motion, 
another  piercing  scream,  and  then  silence, 
with  a  dead  weight  hanging  heavily  at  the 
end  of  the  rope. 

"For  God's  sake,  Jim,  strike  a  match  and 
light  one  of  the  candles  ! "  Captain  Kent  cried 
hoarsely.  "  We  must  have  light.  A  misstep, 
in  this  blackness,  and  we  all  go  into  that 
hell  hole.  We  can  hold  the  rope  now." 

With  trembling  hands  Cowboy  Jim  lit  one 
of  the  candles,  and  stood  holding  it  near  the 
edge  of  that  fearful  abyss. 

"Harry!"  he  called.  "Harry!"  more 
loudly,  but  from  those  black  depths  there 
came  back  no  answer. 

"  Pull  up  the  rope,  pull  carefully,"  Captain 
Kent  commanded. 

Slowly  the  rope  was  pulled  upward,  until 
Cowboy  Jim,  placing  the  candle  down  on  the 
rock  and  leaning  forward  over  the  edge  of 
the  abyss,  could  catch  hold  of  Harry;  and 
then  he  carefully  lifted  the  boy  up  in  his 
arms  and  laid  him  down  on  the  rock. 

Harry  had  fainted,  with  both  arms  gripped 
tightly  around  the  gold  urn,  for  which  he 
had  ventured  so  much. 


34O  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Captain  Kent  at  once  took  Harry  in  his 
arms,  gold  vase  and  all,  and  started  for  the 
opening  of  the  cave.  The  treasure  was  gone 
beyond  all  possible  hope  of  recovery,  and 
there  was  nothing  more  to  be  done  in  the 

O 

cave. 

A  half  an  hour  later  Captain  Kent  and 
Harry  and  Abel  Johnson  and  Cowboy  Jim 
and  Bill  Burke  and  Joe,  the  cowboy,  all  stood, 
safe  and  sound,  at  the  base  of  the  high  wall 
beneath  the  Hermit's  cave,  and  looked  in 
wonder  on  the  quaint  shape  and  mysterious 
carvings  of  the  gold  urn,  which  sat  on  the 
ground  before  them.  The  top  of  the  urn 
was  strongly  closed  and  sealed. 

"  Well,  I  anticipate  we  're  all  a  hankerin' 
to  know  what's  in  that  there  thing,"  Cowboy 
Jim  urged.  "  S'posin'  you  bust  it  open,  Harry, 
an'  see  if  'twas  worth  th'  risk  of  tumblin'  into 
that  black  hole  of  th'  awful  groanin's." 

For  a  minute  Harry  stood  looking  at  the 
urn  in  silence,  a  great  curiosity  to  know  what 
was  hidden  within  it  almost  overcoming  the 
resolution  he  had  made  ;  then  he  said  :  "  No, 
I  will  not  open  the  urn.  We  will  keep  it 
for  Dick  to  open  when  he  gets  well  enough. 
You  know  the  hermit  was  Dick's  father,  and 
everything  in  the  cave  really  belonged  to 


The  Chamber  of  the  Dead  Kings       341 

Dick,  and  so  I  think  it  is  his  right  to  open 
it.  We  can  wait  for  Dick,  can't  we,  Captain 
Kent?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  you  are  right,  Harry,"  Captain 
Kent  answered  ;  "  and  I  am  going  to  ask  each 
one  of  you  to  say  nothing  about  the  finding  of 
this  urn,  until  the  time  comes  for  Dick  to  open 
it.  It  will  be  safer  if  no  one  else  knows  that 
we  have  it.  Now,  let  us  hasten  back  to  the 
tents.  I  am  a  bit  anxious  to  know  how  Dick 
is  coming  on,"  and  Captain  Kent  followed  by 
Harry,  carrying  the  precious  urn  concealed  in 
a  blanket,  hurried  away  to  where  the  white 
tents  showed  in  the  fast  falling  twilight. 

It  was  not  until  about  nine  o'clock  the  next 
morning  that  Dutch  arrived  with  the  doctor 
and  the  sheriff.  The  sheriff  at  once  took 
charge  of  the  robbers,  and  the  doctor  hurried 
to  the  tent  where  Dick  lay. 

Dick  had  passed  a  restless  and  sleepless 
night,  and  the  morning  found  him  delirious 
with  fever  and  moaning  with  pain. 

When  the  doctor  began  his  examination  of 
the  wounded  boy  Loretta  and  Harry  were 
sent  from  the  tent,  Captain  Kent  and  Abel 
Johnson  alone  remaining  with  the  surgeon. 
The  boy  and  girl  seated  themselves  near  the 

tent  and  anxiously  awaited  the  report  of  the 

2s 


342  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

physician.  Neither  would  give  up  hope.  It 
did  not  seem  possible  that  Dick,  the  strong 
and  vigorous,  could  be  dying. 

"Oh,  he  will  live!  I  know  he  will  live!" 
Loretta  exclaimed.  "  I  could  n't  believe  that 
God  was  good  if — if  Dick  should  die,"  and 
her  voice  broke  in  sobs. 

Harry  comforted  her  as  best  he  could ;  but 
his  own  heart  was  very,  very  sad  with  the 
thought  of  the  possibility  that  Dick  might  die 
—Dick,  the  generous-hearted  and  brave,  his 
dearest  companion  and  chum.  And  —  and 
then  the  first  thing  he  knew  he  was  mingling 
his  tears  with  those  of  Loretta. 

Presently  the  flap  of  the  tent  was  lifted  and 
Captain  Kent  came  out.  His  face  was  very 
white,  but  there  was  a  light  in  his  eyes  that 
caused  Harry  and  Loretta  to  jump  to  their 
feet  with  exclamations  of  joy. 

"  He  will  live  !  Oh,  Captain  Kent,  he  will 
live ! "  and  the  excited  girl  threw  her  arms 
around  Captain  Kent's  neck.  "  Tell  me,  he 
will  live?" 

"  Yes,  thank  God,"  responded  Captain  Kent, 
fervently.  "  The  doctor  says  that  with  proper 
care  Dick  should  recover.  But  his  wound  is 
very  serious,  and  it  will  be  at  least  a  week  be- 
fore it  will  be  safe  to  move  him  from  here. 


The  Chamber  of  the  Dead  Kings       343 

Now,  the  doctor  wants  to  see  you,  Loretta, 
for  he  has  many  instructions  to  give  the  nurse. 
I  am  sure  Dick  could  not  have  a  more  loving 
and  faithful  nurse,"  and  Captain  Kent  bent, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  kissed  Loretta,  who 
ran,  with  a  lightened  heart,  to  Dick  and  the 
doctor. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  YOLK  OF  THE  GOLDEN  EGG 

FOUR  weeks  after  the  scenes  narrated  in 
the  last  chapter,  on  a  bright,  cool  morn- 
ing in  early  August,  Dick,  for  the  first  time 
since  his  hurt,  was  permitted  the  delightful 
luxury  of  sitting  on  the  wide  porch  in  front  of 
Abel  Johnson's  ranch-house,  whither  he  had 
been  moved  from  Blind  Canyon  as  soon  as 
the  doctor  had  declared  it  safe  to  do  so.  His 
face  was  very  thin  and  white,  and  his  gaunt 
frame  did  not  seem  to  have  an  ounce  of  flesh 
on  it ;  but  his  eyes  sparkled  brightly  and 
healthfully,  and  there  was  a  buoyant  vigour  in 
the  tone  of  his  voice,  which  told  that  at  last 
his  splendid  constitution  had  conquered  and 
that  his  glorious  health  was  beginning  once 
again  to  thrill  through  his  wasted  frame. 

Loretta  hovered,  with  happy  anxiety,  around 
him,  like  a  mother  over  her  babe  when,  for 
the  first  time,  the  little  toddler  ventures  to 
walk.  She  saw  that  his  chair  was  placed  in 


The  Yolk  of  the  Golden  Egg        345 

the  coolest  and  shadiest  spot  on  the  porch. 
She  smoothed  the  pillow  against  which  he 
reclined.  She  asked  him  nearly  every  minute 
how  he  felt.  She  could  not  sit  still  nor  stand 
still  a  moment,  so  great  was  her  happiness. 
She  laughed  merrily  at  every  possible  excuse  ; 
and,  like  a  joyous  bird,  she  burst  into  frequent 
snatches  of  song  as  she  fluttered  here  and 
there  about  Dick's  chair. 

Of  course  Harry  was  there.  You  could  not 
have  kept  him  away  from  that  first  outdoor 
appearance  of  Dick  with  a  double-barrelled, 
rapid-fire  cannon,  and  he  was  almost  as  solicit- 
ous of  Dick's  comfort  as  was  Loretta  herself, 
which  he  manifested,  boylike,  by  continually 
getting  into  her  way,  and  by  doing  and  saying 
such  ridiculous  and  amusing  things  that  there 
were  not  many  minutes  during  which  Loretta 
and  Dick  were  not  either  laughing  or  scolding 
at  him. 

Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson  and  Cow- 
boy Jim  and  Red  Hank  and  Dutch  and  Joe 
had  also  assembled  on  the  porch  to  welcome 
Dick ;  and,  last  mentioned  but  by  no  means 
least,  there  was  Bill  Burke,  with  his  black  face 
glistening  like  a  polished  chunk  of  coal  and  his 
eyes  rolling  in  their  sockets  like  white  marbles. 

There  was  also  present  an  air  of  mystery 


346  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

and  excitement,  as  if  something  curious  and  of 
extraordinary  interest  was  about  to  happen  ; 
and  finally,  after  all  had  greeted  Dick,  Harry 
stepped  up  in  front  of  him  and,  making  him 
a  military  salute,  said :  "  Please  excuse  me, 
Dick ;  but  I  have  got  something  that  I  want 
to  show  you,"  and  he  hurried  away  on  the  run. 

Dick  looked  puzzled,  and  the  appearance  of 
•expectation  and  excitement  redoubled  on  the 
faces  of  the  others.  Evidently  there  was  some 
mystery  here,  to  which  everybody  had  the  key 
except  Dick  himself.  What  could  it  be  ?  He 
had  been  told  how  all  the  treasure  had  been 
lost,  so  it  could  have  nothing  to  do  with  that. 
But  he  was  not  kept  long  in  suspense.  In  two 
minutes  he  saw  Harry  hurrying  back,  carrying 
something  in  his  arms,  carefully  wrapped  up  in 
a.  bright-colored  Indian  blanket. 

Harry  walked  straight  up  to  Dick,  made 
him  another  salute,  and  deposited  his  burden 
directly  in  front  of  him,  being  careful  to  keep 
it  well  covered  by  the  blanket. 

"  This  is  something  we  found  in  the  treasure 
cave,"  he  said,  his  eyes  sparkling  with  excite- 
ment, "  and  which  we  have  kept  as  a  surprise 
for  you  and  to  help  celebrate  your  recovery. 
Open  it,  Dick !  Open  it ! "  and,  with  a  quick 
jerk,  he  flung  the  blanket  to  one  side,  and 


The  Yolk  of  the  Golden  Egg        347 

revealed  the  urn  of  gold,  secured  at  so  great  a 
risk.  He  then  took  a  hammer  and  chisel  from 
his  pocket  and  handed  them  to  Dick. 

Dick  stared  in  astonishment  from  the  urn  to 
the  excited  faces  around  him,  at  first,  in  his 
surprise,  hardly  comprehending  what  was 
wanted  of  him. 

"  Open  it,  Dick !  Oh,  do  open  it !  I  am 
almost  dying  to  see  what  is  in  it ! "  and  Lo- 
retta,  in  her  eagerness,  leaned  forward  until 
her  face  almost  touched  Dick's  face. 

"  Oh — all  right — here  goes,"  and  Dick 
knelt  down  before  the  urn.  "  I  hope  it  is  full 
of  diamonds  ;  and,  if  it  is,  the  queen  of  them 
all  shall  be  yours,  Loretta,  for  nursing  me  so 
faithfully.  I  am  sure  I  would  not  be  alive  to- 
day if  it  had  not  been  for  you,"  and  the  look 
in  Dick's  eyes,  as  he  raised  them  to  her  face, 
caused  the  dear  girl  to  blush  rosily  and  hastily 
glance  at  the  urn. 

The  opening  to  the  urn  was  round,  and 
some  five  inches  in  diameter.  This  space  was 
carefully  closed  with  lead,  stamped  with  what 
was  doubtless  once  the  privy  seal  of  the  king 
at  the  feet  of  whose  skeleton  the  urn  had  been 
found.  It  seemed  almost  a  sacrilege  to  break 
into  this  vessel,  closed  so  many  centuries  ago 
by  hands  that  had  been  lifeless  for  ages. 


348  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

Dick,  however,  was  not  troubled  by  any 
thoughts  of  sacrilege.  His  curiosity  was  now 
fully  aroused,  and  he  went  at  the  urn  with 
hammer  and  chisel,  with  a  vigour  that  soon  cut 
its  way  through  the  soft  lead.  The  lead  was 
about  two  inches  thick,  and  rested  on  a  circu- 
lar piece  of  wood,  whose  upper  surface  still 
bore  the  marks  made  by  the  burning  of  the 
molten  lead,  when  it  was  poured  into  the 
opening.  Dick  had  great  difficulty  in  getting 
out  this  piece  of  wood,  for  it  was  tightly  wedged 
into  the  opening  and  was  of  an  exceeding  hard 
fibre  ;  but,  at  last,  his  chisel  split  it  and  the 
pieces  were  then  easily  removed. 

All  were  now  standing  around  Dick  as 
closely  as  they  could  pack  themselves,  intent 
on  getting  the  first  glimpse  possible  of  the 
contents  of  the  urn.  Would  it  be  filled  with 
priceless  jewels — jewels  that  once  had  de- 
lighted eyes  now  sightless  for  thousands  of 
years  ?  Would  it  contain  some  unsolved  mys- 
tery of  that  once  mighty  race  now  forgotten 
even  by  history  ?  The  thought  of  thus  reach- 
ing back  into  an  unknown  past  and  pulling 
forth  something  that  had  been  a  part  of  that 
past,  when  living,  fascinated.  It  was  like 
playing  at  grab-bag  with  this  lost  people ;  and 
the  spell  of  its  mystery  gripped  strongly  the 


The  Yolk  of  the  Golden  Egg        349 

minds  of  these  moderns,  who  now,  on  this 
cool  August  morning,  were  crowding  around 
this  marvellously  preserved  relic  of  that  dead 
and  gone  race,  eagerly  awaiting  the  disclosing 
of  its  secrets. 

With  the  last  piece  of  wood  out  and  the 
way  open,  Dick  hesitated.  It  was  almost  like 
reaching  down  into  a  grave  to  thrust  his  hand 
into  that  urn.  Then  his  curiosity  overcame 
all  his  other  feelings,  and  he  put  his  hand  into 
the  urn,  and  pushed  it  down  through  the 
opening.  His  fingers  came  in  contact  with  a 
soft,  silky  substance.  He  pulled  out  a  handful. 
It  was  the  white  down,  wondrously  fine  and 
soft,  of  some  bird.  Again  he  thrust  his  hand 
deep  into  the  urn,  and  drew  out  the  half  of 
a  broken  cartouch  or  tablet  of  gold,  covered 
with  mysterious-looking  emblems  and  pictures, 
doubtless  an  inscription  in  the  unknown  writ- 
ing of  that  ancient  people.  The  break  had 
been  rudely  done,  leaving  a  ragged  saw-like 
edge,  and  running  directly  through  the  in- 
scription. After  glancing  at  this  a  moment, 
Dick  handed  it  to  Loretta  and  again  thrust  his 
hand  into  the  urn.  This  time  his  fingers 
touched  something  round  and  hard,  and  about 
the  size  of  an  egg.  He  quickly  pulled  it  out, 
and  found  in  his  hand  what  appeared  to  be  a 

2T 


350  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

golden  egg,  beautifully  engraved  with  quaint 
emblems  and  pictures  and  looking  as  fresh  and 
untarnished  as  if  it  had  just  come  from  the 
hands  of  the  engravers.  Dick  examined  this 
egg  curiously  for  a  couple  of  minutes,  and  then 
passed  it  to  Loretta.  He  was  anxious  to  dis- 
cover what  else  the  golden  urn  contained.  But 
there  was  nothing  more  in  it,  save  the  bird 
down,  with  which  it  was  tightly  packed. 

"  I  am  sorry,  Loretta,"  Dick  said,  looking 
up  from  the  empty  urn  ;  "  but  this  appears  to 
be  something  of  an  ancient  sell,  nothing  much 
in  it  but  feathers ;  and  I  can't  give  you  the 
promised  diamond.  However,  that  pretty 
trinket  you " 

"Oh!  Oh-h-h-h!!"  burst  from  Loretta's 
lips. 

At  that  moment  her  finger  had  touched 
some  hidden  spring,  and  the  cover  of  the 
gold  egg  flew  open  —  and  she  was  looking 
on  one  of  the  most  marvellous  jewels  that 
mortal  eyes  ever  saw,  a  flawless  oval  diamond, 
nearly  as  large  as  an  egg,  with  a  heart  of 
glowing  fire. 

How  it  sparkled,  and  glowed,  and  flamed, 
in  the  light  of  that  early  morning  sun,  as  if  re- 
joicing in  its  freedom  ! 

Captain  Kent  and  Abel  Johnson  and  Dick 


The  Yolk  of  the  Golden  Egg        351 

and  Harry  had  seen  many  diamonds ;  but 
never  until  that  moment  had  their  eyes  been 
dazzled  by  the  glorious  beauties  of  a  stone 
like  this  one ;  and  all  knew,  instinctively,  that 
Loretta  held  in  her  little  hand  a  priceless 
treasure. 

The  diamond  had  been  cut  and  polished 
with  wonderful  skill,  so  as  to  bring  out  all 
its  beauties  ;  and  told  a  marvellous  tale  of  the 
glories  of  a  civilization  now  without  a  name 
or  history. 

"  That  is  a  jewel  fit  to  adorn  the  head  of 
the  proudest  queen  that  ever  lived,"  Captain 
Kent  said,  after  he  had  looked  long  at  the 
radiant  stone ;  "  and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  it 
is  worth  much  more  in  solid  cash  than  the 
proverbial  king's  ransom." 

"  I  done  reckon  God  A'mighty  dropped  it 
from  His  crown  ! "  Bill  Burke  exclaimed  in 
an  awed  tone  of  voice  ;  and  no  one  present 
thought  his  words  irreverent  or  extravagant 


And  now,  dear  readers,  we  have  come  to 
the  end  of  the  adventures  of  Dick  and  Harry, 
while  attempting  to  secure  the  treasure  hid- 
den in  that  marvellous  Chamber  of  the  Dead 
Kings;  and  so,  for  the  present,  we  will  say 


352  The  Lost  Treasure  Cave 

good-by  to  them  and  to  you,  hoping  that 
we  shall  all  meet  again  soon  in  another  book 
that  tells  how  the  other  half  of  the  broken 
cartouch  of  gold,  found  in  the  urn,  was  dis- 
covered, and  of  the  strange  quest  that  its 
deciphering  caused  Dick  and  Harry  and 
Captain  Kent  and  other  friends  of  the  reader 
to  undertake  into  the  unexplored  wilds  of 
Mexico,  where  they  find — 

But  get  the  book,  "The  Lost  Nation,"  and 
read  all  about  what  they  found,  and  of  the 
marvelous  and  thrilling  adventures  they  had 
in  the  Wonderful  White  City  of  Tollan. 

There  are  three  books  in  this  series,  each 
complete  in  itself,  but  it  will  add  to  their  in- 
terest if  read  in  the  following  order: 

"The  Hermit  of  the  Culebra  Mountains." 

"The  Lost  Treasure  Cave." 

"The  Lost  Nation." 


THE  END. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  UBRARY  FACILITY 


